Supervisor Excused From Jury Duty

Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit reported for duty Tuesday as a potential juror in a criminal case in Indio.

The supervisor told Patch he was called to serve as a juror Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

"I went down there and was excused,'' Benoit said.

He added that in his 31 years in law enforcement he was never able to serve on a jury.

"I wish I could get on one,'' the supervisor said. "Typically, I sit through it and I get excused … I've never really been able to serve on one."

Benoit, who wore a Bluetooth device on his ear, and the entire jury pool were excused just before 11 a.m., according to a juror who did not wish to be named.

It was not immediately clear which case he was called to serve on.

Benoit said he believes jury duty is "critically important" to the justice system.

"When I go a cocktail party and they talk about how they came up with a new excuse to avoid jury duty, it bothers me a lot,'' Benoit said. "It’s critically important that good citizens view it is as an opportunity to be part of the system."

Benoit represents the Fourth District, which includes the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Indio, Palm Springs, Coachella and Cathedral City, as well as other communities in Eastern Riverside County.