A Denver woman has been charged with perjury after telling a radio show that she dressed up in a weird way to avoid jury duty. It turns out the judge who was presiding over the case from which she was dismissed was listening just as she confessed, and he was quick to take legal action.
Susan Cole, 57, is also charged with attempting to influence a public officer, i.e. the judge, by dressing up, as she put it, in a "disheveled and uncoordinated fashion" to look like she had a mental disorder, NBC affiliate KUSA-TV reported.
She also claimed to suffer from PTSD.
"I broke out of domestic violence in the military. And I have a lot of repercussions. One is post-traumatic stress disorder ... My military records are now missing. I have lived on the street, and I have worked myself up to living with my cousin," the court reporter recorded during the interview portion of the court case.
Cole had called into a radio station to explain how she got out of jury duty last year.
KUSA legal analyst Scott Robinson said Cole's on-air confession will make defending her a challenge.
"The defense will have to show that she did not knowingly lie about a material fact," he said. "Bragging about getting out of jury duty is a little bit like being proud of not voting or cheating on your taxes."
No court date for Cole's appearance was provided.
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