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'Oprah' tickets jury excuse: No jury duty for Blagojevich juror
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Well, this beats all, doesn't it? Oprah Winfrey trumps the justice system.A potential juror on the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich corruption trial got out of jury duty. Her reason? She has tickets to the taping of the final "Oprah Winfrey Show," reports Chicago radio station WBEZ.
There could have been other reasons the judge excused the juror, but the New York Post reports a prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar, said to the judge, "It's the last year [of Oprah's show], Judge."
The station got a reaction from Blago himself: "I'm very happy that that juror was dismissed from the jury pursuant to her request so that she can actually go and do what is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and that is see the 'Oprah Winfrey Show.'"
When a reporter asked if "Oprah" tickets are "golden," a reference to a phone call he made saying that his ability to appoint someone to President Obama's vacated Senate seat was "f****** golden," Blago smiled, walked back to the microphones and said, "No. I would say they're f****** golden."
Jury selection continues Thursday (April 28) and opening statements are expected to start Monday (May 2). But not if you have "Oprah" tickets, apparently.
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Maybe the next time I have jury duty and if I want out of it I will tell the judge I want to go see the Oprah show.
Fact is I am willing to serve when ask and have never had an excuse to not serve. Jury duty is a privilege and all should do it, it is the American way.
It's not like there won't be other opportunities for this person to sit on a jury -- crime is out of control. The person had prior plans and it conflicted with the trial -- there are plenty of others in the jury pool.
That's a pathetic excuse for getting out of jury duty. The only reason one should be excused from jury duty should be events like weddings, funerals, and emergancies.
what? it's like saying you were invited to the rrrroyal wedddding. oprah is american royalty.
This is BS, getting out of jury duty just to see a talk show? I don't care if it's Oprah or her final show. I would have denied her request, and the people involved in the trial should feel embarrassed.
oh come on people -- there are plenty of other cases the excused can serve on. i'm glad they were let off.
Actually it's a good thing she was dismissed. The party being tried could have demanded a retrial based on possible prejudice against him since the juror was forced to miss the taping. Legal Loopholes 101! But it's still ridiculous and petty.
That this the lamest excuse ever to get out of jury duty. She could have said something else like no babysitter or something. But that just goes to show what our justice systems priorities are at. That woman should serve on the jury. That is just my opinion.
That this the lamest excuse ever to get out of jury duty. She could have said something else like no babysitter or something. But that just goes to show what our justice systems priorities are at. That woman should serve on the jury. That is just my opinion.
Jury Duty - Another waste of my tax paying dollars. Totally un-organized.
From 8:00 am until 4:00 pm - I sat and read the whole time. Along with over 100 other individuals that day. Let's see now 100 people at $8.00 for 8 hours = $6,400. Another way the government rips off the middle class U.S. Citizen.