Prospective Juror in Pot Trial Caught Smoking Joint at Courthouse
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Some people will do just about anything to get out of jury duty, even if it means going to jail.
In an ironic twist, a prospective juror in a marijuana possession trial in Texas was arrested Tuesday after police say they caught her smoking a joint outside the courthouse, KHOU-TV reported.
Lawyers had narrowed the jury pool to 20 people, including 49-year-old Cornelia Turner Mayo. When Mayo did not return from a 45-minute break called by Judge Sherman Ross, his first instinct was to file a bench warrant for the missing juror.
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But before he could do so his bailiff received word from police saying Mayo was being booked on a charge of smoking marijuana outside the criminal courthouse.
"I've had prospective jurors get lost before, but it never occurred to me that they might be getting ready for a marijuana trial by, allegedly, smoking marijuana," Ross told the Houston Chronicle.
Mayo was booked on a charge of possession of marijuana and released from jail after posting bail. She will be arraigned next week in the courtroom across from Ross’.
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Incidentally, she was not picked for the jury.