Firing Over Jury Service Leads to Boss’ Arrest, Worker Suit

An executive assistant at a computer company was fired when she left work to serve jury duty, angering a judge who then had her boss arrested.

Jennifer Sutton said she was looking forward to her first time on a jury and reminded her boss, Affiliated Computer Services Senior Vice President Warren Edwards, several times. Still, he gave her a late-breaking project the night before, and though she came in early to finish the work, he demanded that she stay, she said.

“I felt like I was going to be late and would get into trouble. I was in tears and told Mr. Edwards that I needed to go to jury duty,” Sutton, 29, told the Dallas Morning News on Monday. “He said for me to pack up my stuff, consider this my last day, that I was fired.”

Executives at ACS confirmed that Sutton was fired Dec. 15, but said it was a mistake.

District Judge John M. Marshall became angry when he heard Sutton’s story and issued an arrest warrant for Edwards. Deputies went to his office, took him into custody and brought him to court. Edwards was not charged.

Sutton sued her former company and wants her job back or six months’ pay. She refused the company’s offer of another job.