A university professor who skipped out on jury duty got a grown-up version of detention today when a federal judge gave her a choice: 10 days in jail or 10 days at the courthouse.
"This is a terrible example for students, when a professor tells a federal court to 'Go take a jump; I'm leaving,'" U.S. District Judge David Hittner said.
Hittner sentenced Sara White, 62, a social work professor at Texas Southern University, to jail time but then gave her the option of reporting to the jury room at the federal courthouse and remaining there without reading materials or contact with anyone for eight hours each day for 10 working days. Hittner handed down his punishment after White pleaded guilty to criminal contempt.
"I made a grievous error in leaving the courtroom," White told Hittner.
Yet another juror in recent trouble. Details here from the Houston Chronicle.