Massachusetts Says Dead Man Can Skip Jury Duty Five Years Later

by editor

It seems Ben Franklin had it kind of right with his famous quote that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes". Just add jury duty to life's list of guarantees--since Massachusetts has been trying to serve a dead man for about five years. The state was bordering on making that dead man a criminal.
 
A Massachusetts man has been facing criminal charges for failing to appear for jury duty, but he had good reason. He's been dead for five years. Apparently it takes awhile for things to catch up in the 'skipped jury duty' department.
 
State Deputy Jury Commissioner John Cavanaugh has announced that Massachusetts state will not be serving a criminal complaint against Michael Wylie. It would be kind of hard to serve him anyway -- so that's probably a good call.
 
The now-deceased Georgetown man was issued a notice to serve on jury duty five years ago, while in hospice care and terminally ill. Despite his passing, the commission sent repeated letters of notification about his failure to report for duty.
 
In what seems a "hail Mary pass" meant to save what's left of its reputation, Massachusetts State Deputy Jury Commissioner John Cavanaugh issued June 30 statement on behalf of the commission. Commissioner Cavanaugh said government officials would try to block any criminal complaint from being filed against the late Michael Wylie: "Given what we now know, we will make an attempt to independently obtain documentation to confirm his [Wylie's] death from the [Georgetown] town clerk before the hearing and stop that process," the commissioner said.
 
Somehow the idea of bypassing additional comments, which could make a government department or its officials look more ridiculous, seems to often escape representatives. Cavanaugh continued his address of the Michael Wylie issue by stating: "But this could have been settled if someone in his family had faxed us a copy of his death certificate years ago."
 
Yeah. And it could've been resolved had someone with the state bothered pulling whatever records it needed from the appropriate department -- which should be easily accessible to state employees and commissions.
 
And it probably should've been resolved before it ever happened -- like, perhaps having appropriate records for shared for who may be alive and who may be dead.
 
Michael Wylie's family says it's tried to notify authorities the man had died.
 
Taxpayers can rest assured funds are being spent wisely.
 
Massachusetts hasn't fared so well in the jury duty notification process -- at least in terms of public exposure over related government snafus. In 2009 Sal Esposito -- an East Boston cat -- was called for jury duty and it took awhile for the commission and courts to provide a fix and officially dismiss the feline from his 'legal obligation'. The cat was supposedly required to make a court appearance despite the fact that Sal's owners had tried to file for Sal’s disqualification from jury duty, per his 'cat' status.
 
Even after Sal Esposito's request for disqualification was sent to the state, the request was actually denied by Massachusetts via paperwork sent to the cat's owners. It wasn't until media exposure highlighted the snafu and it was finally corrected, the cat dismissed.

Location