Young Thug juror who missed call back ordered to write essay on jury duty

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Let this be a lesson for anyone thinking about skipping jury duty.

Last week, as prosecutors, defense attorneys and Fulton County Superior Judge Ural Glanville were engaged in jury selection for Young Thug’s gang-related trial, Juror No. 64 didn’t answer a return call for summons.

That’s because, it was later determined, she’d taken a trip to the Dominican Republic.

Glanville, who holds the rank of Brigadier General, Chief Judge in the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, ordered deputies to bring the juror to the courtroom when she returned to the U.S.

Full coverage of Young Thug’s trial

The following day, the chastened juror appeared before the judge. Here is most of their exchange:

Glanville: “Contempt is punishable easily by a fine of a thousand dollars and/or 20 days in jail. I am not going to fine you. I’m going to … First, madam did you attend college?”

Juror: “Yes.”

Glanville: “You have a four-year degree?”

Juror: “Yes.”

Glanville: “OK. Alright. What I think I’m going to do is, in order to satisfy your contempt, I’m going to commute the 20 days and require you to write a 30-page paper on the importance of jury service. Here’s the criteria: You have to do APA style; you’re going to have to use at least 10 primary sources, 10 secondary sources. You’ll talk in a minimum – and I’ll write this in an order, you’ll have it before you leave here today - you’re going a write at a minimum of the history of jury service, who could not serve on a jury because that’s very important because years ago people that looked like us couldn’t serve on a jury; it was prohibited.

“I want you to talk about jury service in Georgia, and discrimination at a minimum, those four things, OK? You can talk anything else you want to in that regard.

“I am going to give you a date three weeks hence that paper needs to be submitted to me electronically. We’re going to run it through a plagiarism checker; you’ve got to write it yourself, and then you’re going to come back and talk to me about it. I think that would be fair under the circumstances.

“Because this is that important. I have to account for all of you who were summoned, and I’m still looking for folks that did appear. I’m not picking on you; I’m sorry you got a little bit of attention in this respect, but the attention is how serious we view this whole aspect of jury service and participation in this process so we can get a fair jury and a lawful trial as to both sides. I’m not trying to make it other than an exercise in that.”

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