Excuse comes up lame

The juror dismissed from the trial of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens - who was found guilty but who continues to claim he wasn't convicted - did not head to California to attend her father's funeral as she originally told the judge. She headed to California to attend the Breeder's Cup horse race at Santa Anita, Roll Call reports.

Appearing disheveled and confused and brandishing a thick stack of dog-eared papers, [Marian] Hinnant told the judge that in the spring she had purchased tickets to the Breeders’ Cup event in Santa Anita on Oct. 24 and 25.

Hinnant then began to tell a convoluted story about criminal activity in the horse racing industry, alleging that her phone had been tapped and that someone she once worked with in the industry was involved in crime and drugs.

-snip-

After Hinnant left the courtroom, [Judge Emmet] Sullivan told the attorneys in Stevens’ case that he had dismissed her because she was unable to continue to serve on the jury, and “what you heard today just reinforces the correctness of the court’s decision.”