Court rails against judge who didn’t show for jury duty

WICHITA, Kan. » A federal judge won’t punish a Kansas judge who didn’t show up for jury duty in federal court.

Sedgwick County District Judge Michael Hoelscher failed to appear for jury duty June 15.

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren wrote in an order Friday that he believes judges and other public officials should comply with laws with which they expect others to comply. He noted federal judges in Kansas have shown up for jury service in state courts.

But Melgren withdrew his earlier order requiring Hoelscher to show cause for not appearing.

The turnabout came after Hoelscher’s attorney argued that sitting state judges are barred by U.S. law from serving on federal juries. An email with the court filing also documented Hoelscher’s efforts to comply with directions from the court’s automated system.