Supreme Court justice scolds Alabama judge for arresting late juror

NewsA U.S. Supreme Court Justice on Oct. 5, 2026, warned that Jefferson County Judge Alaric May's arrest of a juror for being late, in front of other prospective jurors, could intimidate the jury pool.Jefferson County CourtsBy Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.comU.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday scolded an Alabama judge who had a prospective juror arrested for being late to court.Sotomayor warned Jefferson County Judge Alaric May that May’s actions could have intimidated the jury pool and affect the fairness of a trial.“The record here amply demonstrates how a judge’s conduct can have a profoundly negative impact on members of the jury pool,” she wrote. “Such conduct may affect not only what potential jurors are willing to say in front of the judge but also whether they will apply their independent judgment instead of following what they perceive the judge may personally think.”Sotomayor’s comments came in a written statement even though the Supreme Court declined to take up the capital murder case of Steven Mulkey, whose attorneys argued that the arrest of a prospective juror in front of other members of the jury pool denied him a fair trial, according to Law360.Sotomayor concurred with the denial of certiorari, saying there was no basis for review because Mulkey’s attorneys did not object to the arrest at the time. But she warned that judges should be aware of how such actions can affect the ability of a defendant to have a fair trial.The arrest of the juror happened in April 2023. May, of the 10th Judicial Circuit Court, held a prospective juror in contempt of court for being late.According to Law360, Several prospective jurors said they feared landing in trouble themselves if their answers displeased him, Law360 said.An assistant to Judge May, reached Tuesday and asked if the judge had any response to the Supreme Court justice’s opinion, said he had not yet seen it and couldn’t comment.Greg Garrison writes news and feature stories for Alabama Media Group. He began covering religion for daily newspapers when he joined The Anniston Star in 1985 after graduating from the University of Missouri...