Juror assigned 30-page essay after skipping jury duty for work trip, Georgia judge rules
A potential juror was assigned a 30-page essay after missing jury duty to attend a work trip in the Dominican Republic, Georgia news outlets reported.
Instead of finding her in contempt, Fulton County Chief Judge Ural Glanville on Thursday, Jan. 12, ordered Juror No. 64 to write a report on the importance of serving on a jury and present it in court early next month.
“We have a lot of people that we ask to serve“ Glanville told the juror at a hearing live streamed by Law & Crime Network. “It is that important — it mirrors ... the right to vote. So we take this very seriously in order to get a lawful, fair and just jury.”
The APA-style paper is due Feb. 3 and must include 20 primary and secondary sources, the judge said. It must also discuss the history of jury service and jury service in Georgia, with details on discrimination and who was barred from serving.
“Years ago, people who looked like us couldn’t serve on juries,” Glanville, who is Black, told the juror. “It was prohibited.”
The unnamed juror was supposed to show up for jury selection Monday, Jan. 9, in the trial involving Atlanta rapper Young Thug and members of Young Slime Life, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV.
She explained that she travels a lot for work and called jury services about her trip, later emailing them an itinerary of her travel plans. The woman told Glanville she didn’t realize she had violated any laws “until the sheriff showed up.”
“I thought I was following directions,” she added.
The judge gave her three weeks to write the essay to be presented in-person on Feb. 13, the AJC reported. He added it would be scanned for signs of plagiarism.
Last May, Young Thug and more than two dozen others were named in a sweeping indictment accusing them of gang-related crimes that violated the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO law. The rapper, born Jeffery Williams, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Jury selection in the case began Jan. 4, and officials estimate the trial could last at least six months, based on the number of witnesses and defendants, according to WAGA.
This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Juror assigned 30-page essay after skipping jury duty for work trip, Georgia judge rules."