Recently in Jury Duty Category

A man who didn't disclose during jury questioning that he was a convicted of a crime was arrested, and could face 10 years in prison. According to the District Attorney's Office:

LOS ANGELES - A former juror accused of twice lying under oath is due to be arraigned this morning on charges of perjury, the District Attorney's Office announced.

Manuel Basulto Soto, 52 (dob 2/28/56), is expected to be arraigned in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He was charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant Jan. 21 with one count each of perjury by declaration and perjury under oath, said Deputy District Attorney Amy Pellman Pentz of the Justice System Integrity Division. The complaint also alleges a 1981 felony conviction for arson.

Soto, who was arrested yesterday by investigators of the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, is being held on $100,000 bail. He is charged in case No. BA351577.

Soto was a juror on a murder case in March 2008 when he allegedly committed perjury in his juror application and in his voir dire before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Pounders. Voir dire is the process of in-court questioning of jurors by judges and attorneys to narrow the pool of eligible jurors.

In his juror application, Soto purportedly failed to disclose his criminal past. Later, during voir dire, he continued to deny his involvement in any criminal matters when questioned by Judge Pounders, prosecutors said.

After learning about the defendant's alleged perjury, Judge Pounders dismissed Soto from jury duty - before the murder case reached the trial phase - and referred the matter to the District Attorney's Office.

If convicted as charged, Soto faces a maximum state prison term of 10 years.

And the cop, who spoke with the alternate jurors while the trial was in deliberations, could face charges himself. The Los Angeles Times has the full story.

Imagine being the prosecutor or defense attorney on a normally run-of-the-mill one-count armed robbery trial, but presenting your case before one of the country's highest-ranking judges. Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is one of the jurors deciding whether defendant Raymond Sequeria, 33, is guilty or not in a Torrance Superior Court trial.

During closing arguments today before Judge Steven Van Sicklen, Kozinski - the only panelist wearing a jacket and tie - seemed relaxed and attentive as Deputy District Attorney Ken Fuller argued the case.

Kozinski, who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, made headlines a couple months ago when his personal Web site containing sexual images was outed by a foe while the judge was presiding over a high-profile obscenity trial. Links to the Web site are no longer accessible, but click here for a story about it.

Chief judge of Washington D.C.'s Superior Court issued 92 arrest warrants recently for citizens who shirked their civic duty in the District, the Washington Post reports.

These courts take those summons seriously. Los Angeles Superior Court has a similar policy of fining jury duty scofflaws up to $1,500 or sentencing them to jail. Usually, after being ordered to appear before a judge, most people get slapped with a $200 fine and signed up for jury duty on the spot.

Just take some tips from this Chicago Tribune article about all the ways propsective jurors at the R. Kelly statutory rape trial got their green light to go.

     ... You are in luck! The California Court system is celebrating its 10th annual Juror Appreciation Week, beginning today. To thank the approximate 2.7 million potential jurors who report for duty every year, those who are called in to court for their civic duty this week will be treated to refreshments and freebies, depending on where you go. The Los Angeles Superior Court has for you ... hold on to your hats ... pencils and water bottles! If that doesn't say patriotism, I don't know what does.