Ex-Celtics, Heat star Ray Allen fined for skipping jury duty
Ray Allen discovered himself in entrance of an indignant decide in courtroom on Wednesday, and the way in which he obtained there, as reported by the Miami Herald, is sort of the story.
It reportedly started when the Corridor of Famer was chosen as certainly one of 14 members of a jury in a lethal carjacking case in Miami. The federal trial was scheduled for March 14, but it surely turned out Allen had a battle. The night time earlier than, he was speculated to be in Boston, participating in Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement ceremony with the Celtics.
Why Allen didn’t push again his jury reporting date or inform the decide of his battle earlier than he was chosen is unclear. The Celtics announced Garnett’s number would be retired all the way in which again in August, so it is not just like the battle was surprising.
Regardless, Allen reportedly took the daring step of requesting U.S. District Choose Marcia Cooke push again the trial to March 15 to accommodate his journey. Which she did, allowing Allen to take part in an emotional ceremony with some former teammates.
So all of it labored out, proper? Effectively, it did for that night time, a minimum of.
You may think about Cooke’s shock two days later, nonetheless, when Allen reportedly did not present up for the trial. After a number of makes an attempt to contact the previous NBA 3-point king, Cooke issued Allen an order to indicate trigger and proceeded with the trial, by which the defendant was discovered responsible on Tuesday.
From the Herald:
“Mr. Allen’s actions in failing to seem for jury obligation are each baffling and disconcerting,” Cooke wrote in her show-cause order.
“By means of his actions in failing to seem for jury obligation, Mr. Allen seems to not respect or perceive the significance of jury service. The proper to a trial by jury is sacrosanct,” Cooke wrote. “Nonetheless, the best to trial by jury can solely be preserved if those that are chosen to serve on a jury really fulfill their obligation to serve.”
A day after the trial ended, Allen was in courtroom together with his spouse and kids to clarify his no-show. Allen’s legal professional William McCue reportedly issued an apology on his behalf and claimed “it was an entire misunderstanding.”
After scolding Allen for disrespecting the courtroom and his fellow jurors, Cooke reportedly ordered him to pay $1,000 to a charity of his selection. Allen advised the Herald the cash would go towards diabetes analysis.
