Dannemeyer Not Excused From Jury Duty : Jurisprudence: A judge ordered the former congressman to explain his unapproved absence from a Santa Ana court. He was also given an extension.

SANTA ANA —  A judge on Monday refused to excuse former U.S. Rep. William E. Dannemeyer from performing his civic duty but gave the U.S. Senate hopeful an extension to report for jury service next year.

Dannemeyer, 64, tried twice to be excused from jury service on Oct. 18 and left the courthouse for several hours in the middle of the day. Presiding Orange County Superior Court Judge Donald E. Smallwood ordered Dannemeyer to appear in court Monday to explain his unapproved absence.

After an informal hearing, Smallwood told Dannemeyer he would not be allowed special treatment over the scores of men and women who serve as jurors despite their own personal obligations.

“I just don’t think it’s fair for them for someone of your position to come in and get out of service,” the judge said. “Everyone who is called comes down here and does their duty,” the judge later added.

Dannemeyer told the judge he was not trying to evade jury duty. He said he twice requested to be excused because he believed that no attorney would choose him for a panel given his background as a former prosecutor and politician who advocated limiting civil damage awards.

“I have always been ready and willing to perform my civic duty as a juror,” Dannemeyer said after the hearing.

The judge agreed to defer Dannemeyer’s service to July, 1994, to accommodate Dannemeyer’s campaign for the Senate. A conservative who has championed Christian causes, Dannemeyer lost a 1992 bid for a Senate seat.

If successful in the Republican primary next June, Dannemeyer’s jury service could be postponed again to follow the November election. If elected, Smallwood said Dannemeyer would be exempt from jury service.

“I’m giving you some incentive to run a hard campaign, Mr. Dannemeyer,” the judge quipped.

Smallwood also added that he was not “picking on” the former congressman.

“The only reason I even knew you were in the courthouse is you made such extreme effort to get excused that day,” the judge said.

Dannemeyer was sent to a courtroom as a prospective juror Oct. 18 but never made it to the courtroom on time. Dannemeyer blamed a bailiff for failing to alert him as she rounded up potential jurors sitting outside the courtroom. The bailiff told the judge Monday that she twice called out for jurors to enter the courtroom and did not see Dannemeyer.

Dannemeyer said he left the courthouse about 11:15 a.m. to make a luncheon debate.