Woman charged with arson takes heat for showing up late to court

SOUTHFIELD -- A Detroit woman learned the hard way that tardiness can have consequences, CBS Detroit reports.

Rashidah Muhammad was free on bond after being charged with setting a house on fire. She was due to appear in Judge David Groner's courtroom Thursday morning, but was an hour-and-a-half late.

When Groner asked her why, Muhammad said she left her house around 8:45 a.m. -- 15 minutes after court started -- and then she said she got stuck in traffic after arranging the ride at the last minute, according to the station.

Judge Groner was clearly unmoved by all the excuses. He asked Muhammad if she won a hypothetical $1,000 cash prize would she be late to pick that up -- and she responded that she did not know, according to CBS Detroit.

At that point, the frustrated judge told Muhammad that she wasn't taking the matter seriously enough and revoked her bond, ordering her to jail. She was ordered to spend at least 48 hours behind bars before her next court hearing.

"If court starts at 8:30, you better be there at 8:30 -- especially if you're charged with arson," said a CBS Detroit legal analyst.