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A Fort Dodge man who admitted to trying to get thrown off a jury for a trial last month has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for contempt of court.
According to court records, District Court Judge Angela Doyle handed down the sentence to Gene House, 69, of Fort Dodge, on Monday, for displaying "contemptuous and insolent behavior toward the Court."
In April, House was among the pool of jurors called in for jury selection for the trial of Jordan Webb in Webster County. After a day and a half of jury selection, House was one of 14 picked for the trial (12 jurors, plus two alternates).
Opening arguments and testimony began immediately after jury selection. As the court played a video of Webster County Attorney's Office Investigator Larry Hedlund interviewing the defendant, attorneys for both the state and the defense -- as well as at least one other juror -- noticed that House was not paying attention, going as far as to look in the opposite direction of the video screen to "make a display of refusing to look at it," according to an order filed by District Court Judge Christopher Polking.
"Throughout the entire jury selection process Mr. House was not very pleased to be here," Polking said during a conference with the attorneys the following morning. "He made that evident. He was quite shocked when he was picked to be on the jury. He looked directly at me with a questioning look as to how this was allowed to happen."
Polking gave the attorneys an opportunity to share their thoughts as to how to move forward.
"I don't want him to think this type of behavior is tolerated or appropriate," said Assistant Webster County Attorney Bailey Taylor.
Webb's attorney, Dean Stowers, said that House's act of ignoring the evidence seemed to be "in a protest" and his actions amounted to juror misconduct.
Polking agreed with the attorneys that House should be removed from the jury for the remainder of the trial.
"I do not in any way want to risk him causing a mistrial or any other way interfering with the job of the other jurors," he said.
House was then brought into the conference with the attorneys and judge and was asked by Polking about his behavior in the jury box the prior day. According to transcripts from the conference, House admitted he was not listening to the testimony, did not watch the video and intentionally looked away from the video. House also admitted that his actions were done in an attempt to be thrown off the jury.
"You have disrespected the court," Polking said to House. "You have disrespected your fellow jurors. You have disrespected yourself, and you have disrespected all the parties involved in this. Your behavior is some of the most immature behavior I've ever witnessed in court. To say that your behavior was childish would be an insult to most children who put much more good faith in their efforts to do a good job and do the right thing."
A hearing was held Monday, during which Doyle found House to be in contempt of court and sentenced him to 30 days in the Webster County Jail.
"Jury service is a test of character and citizenship," Doyle wrote in her ruling. "The good citizen will not only serve willingly when called, but will use his best efforts, intelligence, and integrity in deciding the case which is placed before him. No higher responsibility rests upon the citizen than that of taking his place on the jury, when called, without evasion or complaint. Any other attitude on the part either of the juror or the court destroys the effectiveness of the jury system. Any lesser degree of performance makes a mockery of the jury system."