No show juror fined for contempt; boss summoned

If you think a summons to jury duty is something to ignore you better think again … at least if the judge in question is Supreme Court Justice Adolf Lucas. Today Lucas not only fined an absent prospective juror but also ordered her boss to appear. On Monday when Doris Mencias failed to show up for jury duty, Lucas ordered police to go find her. When she was finally brought before the court, Lucas asked why she never made it on Monday. Mencias replied: “I gave the summons to my boss and my boss told me to tell you I have no time for this.” That, apparently, was not the right answer and Mencias, held in contempt, was fined fifty dollars to be paid by February ninth or in default six months in jail. Lucas also ordered that Mencias and her boss, Vinod Punjabi of S.P. Home Depot, both appear before him on Thursday.