Woman Allegedly Fakes Jury Service to Get Out of Work for Eight Days: Now Facing Seven Years in Prison

In the decade or more that I have been involved in the criminal justice system as a criminal defense attorney and Manhattan prosecutor, I have heard some real doozies from people attempting to get out of jury duty. This passion to get out of jury duty is rarely, if ever, matched by those willing to put their own lives to the side to serve as jurors. Yet, a woman in Staten Island clearly has bucked that trend. In fact, she was arrested earlier today and is awaiting arraignment for desperately trying to get on jury duty (well, sort of…).

According to the New York Post, police arrested Rebecca Thybulle after she missed eight days of work at her government job. Wanting to take some time off, it is alleged that she created a jury summons as well as proof of jury service for her employer in order to answer for her eight day absence. It is alleged that Ms.Thybulle went as far as to tell her boss that she was on a vehicular homicide case. As happy as her fellow New Yorkers may have been to hear she enthusiastically embraced her civic duty, it is alleged that her boss found evidence of the forged summons and proof of jury service on Ms. Thybulle’s desk. With a slight twist of irony, Ms. Thybulle may be sitting for jurors, but not for jury duty. Instead, she may be sitting to pick jurors to hear her case and the two counts of Forgery in the Second Degree she now faces. If convicted, Ms. Thybulle is looking at up to seven years in prison on each count (it would likely run concurrent).

On a not-so-side note, according to the New York Post, Ms. Thybulle is already waiting to be sentenced on an Attempted Grand Larceny in Manhattan from her former employer, Coffee Shop, where she allegedly stole over $6,000 during her stint as their payroll manager.

Saland Law PC is a New York criminal defense firm founded by two former Manhattan prosecutors. Saland Law PC represents clients throughout the New York City region.

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