Poll of the Day > 21 y/o Kid gets 10 DAYS JAIL because he OVERSLEPT and missed JURY DUTY!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

21 y/o Deandre Somerville from West Palm Beach, Florida was sentenced to 10 DAYS in JAIL because he OVERSLEPT and MISSED his JURY DUTY!!

He was chosen to serve as a juror for a civil automobile accident negligence on August 20 and was supposed to return to Florida's 15th judicial circuit court the following day at 9am..but he overslept by 2 hours and failed to notify court and instead went to work

3 weeks later, 5-0 arrived and he was ordered to attend a hearing where Judge John Kastrenakes found him in CRIMINAL CONTEMPT of court and was sentenced to 10 days in the slammer, a year of probation and a 223 fine as well as a 100 word APOLOGY LETTER

He said "I should have called. But i was kind of nervous. I also went online to look up what could really happen and i didn't see too much there..it looked like nobody actually ever went to jail for it"

He also has to write an apology of no less than 100 words and serve 150 hours of community service that include once a week 10 minute discussion on the importance of jury duty

His sentence and jail time was "traumatic" as it's put a strain on his family and has no prior record

The judge YELLED at him stating the trial wasdelayed foran hour as they waited for him and were unable to reach him on cell.

He said "For me it was like,dang, it was the first time i go to a courtroom and the second time i show up i get jail time. I feel like the punishment could have been probation or community service. Why did you have to throw me in jail? Because you assumed i was one way?? It's easy to throw someone in jail versus spending the time to really see someone and asking them how they work"

The 10 days neglected him from helping hi sfamily and he's not working he can't maintain the household and pay bills and take his granddad to therapy.

Judge Kastrakes voided his prior order of guilty, meaning his criminal record is cleared but he's already spent time in the slammer and reduced his probation to 3 months and community service to 30 hours

He said it used this as a lesson and a learning experience as he's never been to jail as jail isn't made for him where he was around criminals even for doing something that's not even a real criminal act

On Friday he had to read out a letter of apology to the court where he described it as an immature decision and paid for with his freedom and was extremely sorry and a wake up call as he won't let this define him or his future

Do you think missing Jury Duty should be a crime?

Deandre -











Judge Goat -




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This shouldve been one of those simple, Listen, Im giving you a warning. If you dont get in trouble with the law for the next 6 months, this will be removed from your record.
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This should have been a fine at worst.

But 10 days is reasonable I guess. Not like he's going to max security over this

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He also didn't even tell them about anything, and ignored their calls.

Fair, next.
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If he was white they would have just laughed it off.
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Full Throttle posted...

He said it used this as a lesson and a learning experience as he's never been to jail as jail isn't made for him where he was around criminals even for doing something that's not even a real criminal act

It is though, and this proves his apology is just lip service.
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What a joke.


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Zareth posted...

If he was white they would have just laughed it off.

Final Fantasy2389 posted...

What a joke.

assumptions.

Again, he ignored their calls, refused to contact them when he should have done so immediately.
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Kimbos_Egg posted...

He also didn't even tell them about anything, and ignored their calls.

Fair, next.

This. He wasnt jailed for oversleeping, he was jailed for not showing up for jury duty without notifying the court. If he had shown up 2 or 3 hours late he wouldve been yelled at but he wouldntve been in legal trouble.

You cant just do your own thing and completely ignore everyone else when it comes to court.
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I think an issue tends to be that if they don't punish people for not coming to Jury Duty then nobody will go to Jury Duty. Well.... Unless you actually treat them better or give them something a little extra for the time. But even if you go your not guaranteed a parking spot you don't make any type of money for your time unless you get a case and even then it doesn't really cover gas. You have to get up super early.
But IF I missed jury duty like him i'd have been punished worse.

anyhow I've have served cases in my life I think I should be able to retire from Jury Duty.

Welcome to the real world, "kid".
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21 years old is not a kid. Jury duty is no ****ing joke. Dude didn't even call, seriously screwing up the system.

Ten days is harsh, given that most trials don't last more than two days, but I would not have had a problem sentencing him for a length of time equivalent to however long this particular trial went.
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