Woman Who Bragged About Getting Out Of Jury Duty Avoids Jailtime With Guilty Plea

DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver woman who made what she thought was a harmless call to a radio station has pleaded guilty to charges of lying to get out of jury duty.

Lynn Kimbrough with the district attorney's office said Susan A. Cole, 58, pleaded guilty to attempt to influence a public servant and second-degree perjury.

"The charges alleged that on June 28, 2011, Cole knowingly made false statements under oath during jury selection in a Denver district courtroom and that her deceit was an attempt to influence the court so that she would be excused from jury duty," Kimbrough said in a statement.

Authorities were alerted after Cole called in to a KOA-AM show last fall and told her story. Radio hosts Dave Logan and Dave Krieger were taking listener calls on how to avoid jury duty in October 2011.

Authorities said Cole used the name Char and went into great detail about how she was able to get excused from jury duty the previous June. The following is exactly what she said on the show:

"I decided not to put my makeup on and I put black eyebrows on. I put bright red lipstick on. I left my hair in my curlers and I put on a t-shirt that said 'Ask Me About My Best-Seller,' When they asked me about mental issues I got up and said, 'Yeah, I have some mental issues.' Then the judge said, 'Does anyone care if she leaves?' And everybody else said all at once in a great big voice, 'No.' "

At the time Cole said that she thought the situation was very humorous.

"For about two weeks every time my roommate thought about it or I told my clients about it, we would cry because we laughed so hard," Cole told CBS4 in March.

According to the Denver District Attorney's Office, the judge from the case was listening to the radio show at the time and didn't think it was so funny.

"The judge who had been the judge in the courtroom back in June happened to be listening and recognized the story," Kimbrough said in March.

The judge filed a complaint. That led to felony perjury charges.

Cole was given a two-year deferred judgment on the felony count, and two years of probation on the misdemeanor count, to be served concurrently. She also must perform 40 hours of community service.