HOUSTON, March 19 (UPI) -- Although Russell Yates was a regular fixture at the Harris County Courthouse during his wife's capital murder trial, he failed to appear for jury duty Monday because he was flying across the country for talk show appearances.
Yates said he recalled receiving the summons but he forgot about his 12:15 p.m. appointment at the courthouse because he was so busy in the wake of his wife Andrea's conviction and life sentence for drowning their children.
Yates was interviewed on NBC's "Today Show" Monday morning and then he flew to Los Angeles later in the day for another interview on CNN's "Larry King Show."
Harris County District Clerk Charles Bacarisse confirmed Tuesday that Yates missed his call for jury duty.
"He was apparently flying across the country," the clerk said. "Obviously he's not the only citizen in Harris County who has ignored a summons. It doesn't happen with impunity, but it does happen and I think currently there is a civil penalty of a fine."
A judge could impose a fine of up $500, but it rarely happens in Harris County.
"Thankfully we have enough of a call here that we're able to supply the courts with their needs just about every day," Bacarisse said.
About 17,500 people are called weekly for jury duty in Harris County and 30 percent of them are used. People who miss their appointment can reset their date by phone or on the clerk's Web site.
When contacted Monday night in Los Angeles, Yates asked the Houston Chronicle for a phone number but as of early Tuesday he had not phoned the clerk's office.
Yates told the Chronicle he was so busy he had just forgotten about the summons.
"I've got piles of papers at home," he said. "I'm lucky I have the electricity on, I've been so busy.
Yates said three months ago he received a jury summons for Andrea.
When Andrea Yates was formally sentenced to life in prison Monday none of her relatives was present, only two jail psychiatrists. Her lawyer asked the judge to keep her in the county jail psychiatric unit as long as possible before she goes to state prison.
Yates will be transferred to the women's prison at Gatesville for 30 days of medical and psychiatric examination. Any prison unit can provide outpatient psychiatric services, but she could be sent to a full-time psychiatric unit.
