Forget 12 angry men. Imagine 14 angry teammates and thousands of angry fans. That’s why Donovan Mitchell respectfully asked this week to be excused from serving jury duty early next year.
“I wanted to do it, to be honest with you,” the 22-year-old Mitchell said. “But you know …”
Mitchell received the juror qualification form in the mail and first was a bit worried.
“When I got it, I was a little nervous,” he said. “What did I do to get a court letter? Then I opened it. My mom was my first call. What do I do? I’ve never had one of these before.”
Mitchell’s time in the jury pool would have been from January 7 through February 1, a stretch that will feature 13 games for the Jazz.
“We asked that Mr. Mitchell be excused from jury service during this time given his commitments and schedule during the NBA season,” an attorney for Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment wrote to the Utah State Courts in an email on Thursday.
Shortly afterward, the courts confirmed that Mitchell had been excused from service.
“I’m glad it’s sorted out,” Mitchell said with a laugh.