Judge scolds ex-NBA star Ray Allen for skipping jury duty
Judge delayed trial date so Allen can attend Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement ceremony
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen was scolded by a federal judge and ordered to donate $1,000 to charity for failing to show up at a trial after being selected as a juror.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke told Allen, 46, during Wednesday's hearing that he had disrespected the court by skipping out on jury service. Her order says "no man or woman is above performing that civic duty."
Former Boston Celtics players Ray Allen, left, and Kevin Garnett speak during ceremonies to retire Garnett's jersey number 5 on March 13, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Allen had been selected to serve last week as a juror in a fatal carjacking trial, but did not appear even after Cooke delayed the trial a day so that he could attend the jersey retirement ceremony of former Boston Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett, according to the Miami Herald.
Allen said little during the hearing. His attorney, William McCue, apologized to Cooke and said Allen's absence "was a complete misunderstanding." Allen said he would make his donation to diabetes research.
The trial went on without Allen and the defendant was convicted.
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Allen, now a coach at a Miami-area private school, played 1,300 NBA games over 18 seasons with the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics and Miami Heat.
He won NBA championships with the Celtics in 2008 and Heat in 2013 and retired as the league's career-best three-point shooter, a record that has since been eclipsed. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.