Western Pa. judge sets example by doing jury duty

EBENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania judge spent the day in the county courthouse — but not in her usual seat.

Instead, Cambria County Judge Linda Fleming sat among 119 other people who reported for jury duty Thursday at the courthouse about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Fleming says she felt it was important to serve and not use her position as an excuse to get out of jury duty. Potential jurors watch an orientation video in which Fleming and four other judges explain the process. Fleming says a woman sitting next to her didn't recognize her in the video.

Fleming was picked for a 36-member panel assigned to a criminal case. But she wasn't seated as one of the case's 12 jurors after an attorney objected.

Fleming says she declined the $9 each juror is paid for the day.