Evanston woman jailed for avoiding jury duty
EVANSTON (WNE) — “I want to impress upon every member of this community — when you get a summons for jury duty, you come to court,” Third District Court Judge James Kaste said as he sentenced an Evanston woman to time behind bars following her refusal to report for the civic duty and subsequently absconding.
“No ifs, ands or buts,” he said.
Following a guilty plea to criminal contempt of court, Wendy Pierce, 59, was sentenced to serve 16 days in the Uinta County Detention Center.
Pierce told Kaste she did not appear for jury duty due to medical issues and chronic pain, though she also failed to provide the requested physician’s documentation to excuse her from the two times she’d been summoned since March.
Via telephone, Pierce directed a profanity-laced tirade at District Court staff following her second summons in mid-August. After a warrant was issued for her arrest, Pierce hid out for 16 days to avoid law enforcement.
“I cannot sit with my feet down for seven to eight hours,” she told the judge. “And I’m just going through a lot of stuff at this time in my life. I did it because I needed to protect myself from pain.”
Pierce also apologized to the court staff for her demeaning phone call.
The judge explained that had she shown up as expected, she could have explained her situation to him directly. He told Pierce she “disrespected” the court and its staff, other jurors and parties to the proceeding. “You thumbed your nose at the court ... then you hid like a child,” he said of her attempt to avoid arrest.
“You owe me 16 days,” Kaste said just before she was remanded into custody. “If that [jail] bed is uncomfortable, I’m sorry, but you made it.”
This story was published on Sept. 3, 2026.
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