Posted 4/28/2010 09:25:00 PM by Douglas

At first glance, this story sound like a judge being a jerk, but after reading what she did, I'm not so sure.

A 19-year-old college freshman missed class Tuesday when a federal judge decided to teach her a civics lesson by ordering federal marshals to haul her in chains from school to court to explain why she shirked jury duty.

Kelsey G** stood in ankle and wrist restraints in court Tuesday afternoon wearing flip flops, a tight white T-shirt, short-shorts and sporting green streaks in her hair. Though she rolled her eyes and looked impatient while waiting for the judge, once U.S. District Judge David Hittner took the bench her tears flowed.

The judge was incensed that the teen had hung up on jury clerks calling to get her to the courthouse.

Ok, that's a bit much. Does everyone get shackled for ditching jury duty? I don't think so. So what happened?

She appeared in federal court one day last week, filled out forms and was told to return this Monday to be on a panel of 60 potential jurors in a health care fraud case. Last week people who wanted out of jury duty were told to state their cases, but G**, who might have gotten a pass as a student, demurred.

When she didn't show up Monday, she told the jury clerk who called that she had a flat tire. When the clerk offered to come pick her up, G** said she wanted to go to class and would not come to court. When clerks called her back later to say the judge wanted her to appear Tuesday to explain herself, she was rude and hung up on them.

OK sounds rude and pretty obvious she's lying about the flat. Definitely worthy of a bench warrant for her to appear, but are the shackles really necessary? For that we gotta hear from her dad:

He said his daughter went to the doctor because her ankles were bleeding and bruised from the ankle restraints and he said he's in shock that a judge would do this to a college freshman.

“Don't treat her like she murdered 25 people along the freeway,” he said. “She's 19, she's ignorant, she's a kid. They don't take anything seriously.”

Ok, now he needs to be shackled. She's 19. She's a legal adult and should be held accountable for her actions. Which she most ceremoniously was.

Next time, click on that box that says "educational exemption" and mail it in, darlin'.