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83 Days in Jail for Skipping Jury Duty

AP
posted: 21 HOURS 51 MINUTES AGO
comments: 411
filed under: Crime News, National News
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McKINNEY, Texas (May 9) - A man arrested for allegedly failing to appear for jury duty was released Saturday after spending 83 days in jail, a length of detention that a judge called "unacceptable."
Douglas Maupin was released a day after The Dallas Morning News brought his plight to the attention of a Collin County judge.
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Maupin, a masonry contractor, was arrested Feb. 15 after police pulled him over for speeding. Police then detained him on a 2003 warrant for failure to appear for jury duty.
He wrote a letter to the newspaper about his lengthy jail stay, then said in a jailhouse interview that he, his friends and family could not afford his $1,500 bail.
He said his attempt to get a public defender was rebuffed by a jail clerk.
District Judge Chris Oldner said he was unaware of Maupin's detention until Friday, even though the case was assigned to his court. The judge who signed the original 2003 warrant had retired, and officials said the case was assigned to the court of his replacement but the offense didn't fall under that court's responsibility.
"He should not have spent that much time. This is unacceptable," Oldner told the Morning News. "I don't know why the process failed to notify us."
Oldner also said that Maupin should have been allowed to apply for a public defender.
Maupin, 34, said he just wanted his day in court.
"I do know I have the right to due process and a speedy trial," he said. "I've had neither. It's not right."
The judge said he was "disappointed this has happened," and promised to investigate.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-05-09 15:36:59
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FUNFURLYFE

07:28 PMMay 10 2009

Won't ever catch me doing jury duty. I have been called 3 different times and had my dr. get me out of it. Our judicial system is a big crock of s*it.

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Mm3rdeye

07:09 PMMay 10 2009

Your founding fathers held my "fathers/ancestors" as slaves. F*ck the founding fathers and jury duty. There is no justice in this land anyway!_________________________________________________________________ _________Tlee47ftw 06:54 PMMay 10 2009 Our founding fathers pledged "our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor." to get this country started. And some of you scum bags can't even go serve on a jury. Ever you ever need a jury, you'll have a different opinion.

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Tlee47ftw

06:54 PMMay 10 2009

Our founding fathers pledged "our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor." to get this country started. And some of you scum bags can't even go serve on a jury. Ever you ever need a jury, you'll have a different opinion.

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Tlee47ftw

06:51 PMMay 10 2009

Thelawman3026 05:06 PMMay 10 2009 jury duty show up and when going thru the selection process say whoever it is for whatever reason who being tried is guilty, and bingo your released and sent home-------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------What an unpatriotic thing to do. Our survival as a democracy depends on public participation.

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DonPantanella

05:27 PMMay 10 2009

RCott1019 ...Waht State Do You Live In? Maybe We Could Fence You In.

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Thelawman3026

05:06 PMMay 10 2009

jury duty show up and when going thru the selection process say whoever it is for whatever reason who being tried is guilty, and bingo your released and sent home

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RCott1019

04:53 PMMay 10 2009

Texas and southern California should have fances built aroung them and be declared national asylums. Let anybody in who wants to go, but don't EVER let any of them out.

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Mm3rdeye

04:49 PMMay 10 2009

F*CK JURY DUTY! JUSTICE IS SELDOM SERVED IN OUR COURT SYSTEM ANYWAY!

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Oceanluver59

04:49 PMMay 10 2009

Should have been picked up for drunk driving..he wouldn't have had to stayed 2 hours much less 83 days!

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Emkaterinis5

04:47 PMMay 10 2009

Did you ask the man, why he refused to respond to jury duty? If you ask me, I will refuse it too. Why? Because the justice system in this country decided to throw me out of my house for 7.5 months because of a bitch, masterminding that I threateded her, that has not paid a dime for 27 months. Did you asked mewhere am I supposed to find the money to pay the taxes?What do you call this?A convenience justice or preference justice? Hell no to jury duty!

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