The Indianapolis Star is reporting that a local doctor has been criminally charged with interference with jury service for firing an employee who missed work because of jury duty. The interference with jury service statute, which carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, reads as follows:
A person who knowingly or intentionally:
(1) dismisses his employee;
(2) deprives his employee of employment benefits; or
(3) threatens such a dismissal or deprivation;
because the employee has received or responded to a summons, served as a juror, or attended court for prospective jury service commits interference with jury service, a Class B misdemeanor.
According to the charging instrument, the former employee told his employer that he may be on jury duty for 2-3 weeks. The following day the juror's employer fired the employee claiming that they were “eliminating his employment due to volume.”
To read more about the case go here.
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