A woman in Denver was sentenced to community service after she was caught faking post-traumatic stress disorder , or PTSD, in order to avoid jury duty.
According to ABC News , Susan Cole was sentenced to 40 hours of community service. She was also given a two-year deferred judgment for attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and two years of probation for second degree perjury, a misdemeanor.
Cole was called in for jury duty in June of 2011. Cole, who did not want to perform her civic duty, showed up to court wearing curlers in her hair, messy makeup, and mismatched shoes. Cole told the judge that she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after experiencing domestic violence in the military.
Court reporter Kelli Wessels said at the time:
“Her makeup looked like something you would wear during a theater performance… When the judge asked the entire panel if anyone had a mental illness, [Cole] stated she had difficulties getting ready in the morning, which was apparent to me by the way she was dressed.”
Cole was excused from jury duty but her scam would eventually catch up to her. Cole started bragging about her act of deception. She even called into a radio show to talk about her she faked PTSD to get out of jury duty.
Well, the Judge heard her confession on the radio show and had Cole arrested. On Tuesday she plead guilty to second-degree perjury and attempting to influence a public servant.
Dr. Joseph Calabrese, a psychiatrist at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, said:
“As a mental health professional, I find this disturbing and upsetting. PTSD is a very serious, life threatening illness. And things like this tend to trivialize it.”
Here’s a video about the woman who was caught faking PTSD in order to get out of jury duty.
