Summoned for Jury Duty - New SAHM

[Anonymous]

I quit my job to be a full-time mom and on my last day of work I received my summons for jury duty in DC. I happily served on a jury five years ago when I was pregnant, but this time I’m really upset about it. What do other stay at home moms do when they get called for jury duty, especially when the spouse has no flexibility at work (literally the reason I quit work)? I have a one year-old and four year-old. Four year-old needs to get to and from school each day. With my luck, I’m certain to get stuck on a month’s long trial.

Do I ask my nanny to come back and possibly shell out thousands of dollars? Fly in elderly parents to try to help? See if my husband can take vacation? Any ideas are appreciated!

[Anonymous]

All of the above.

[Anonymous]

Tell them you’re nursing. Worked for me!

[Anonymous]

You call them and say you are a SAHM with young kids and no child care. Ask if you can bring the kids. They will probably excuse you. They did when I got a summons when my child was a few months old. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

I did a combo of all the options you listed. Everyone's got some reason they "cant" do jury duty. It inconveniences all of us. We all just suck it up and deal.

[Anonymous]

yes you can delay it 2-3 times, but DC seems pretty insistent about it. Then you should be able to get the judge to let you go once you are actually in the courtroom and they are picking jurors.

[Anonymous]

You are the primary caregiver for children. You won’t even have to show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are the primary caregiver for children. You won’t even have to show up.

I requested to be excused and was denied… It even asked if I had a child who wasn’t potty trained, and I was still denied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are the primary caregiver for children. You won’t even have to show up.

I requested to be excused and was denied… It even asked if I had a child who wasn’t potty trained, and I was still denied.

Then, I'd bring my kid.

I got excused. We had no child care, no family help and my husband started a new job/no leave.

[Anonymous]

I believe that they provide childcare but that it has limits (only above a certain age, child must be potty-trained ,etc). I just said that I had a child who didn’t yet qualify for the childcare. I got it pushed a few times but not excused. I got called a few times in DC and had to call everyday and never actually had to come in person.

One time I was seated on a jury, but naively said that I liked the police and had a good experience with them when I was the victim of a crime (which was true). I was immediately dismissed. If I get called again in DC, I will effusively praise the police and probably get struck by the defense.

[Anonymous]

I’m not in DC and I here they are strict. But I got called once when I was nursing and was excused, then I got called again after that and stated I was a primary caregiver to minor children and had no one to watch them. I’m not paying out of pocket to do jury duty and neither is my husband burning precious PTO. I was excused again. I guess if I was denied I would just bring them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are the primary caregiver for children. You won’t even have to show up.

I requested to be excused and was denied… It even asked if I had a child who wasn’t potty trained, and I was still denied.

Then, I'd bring my kid.

I got excused. We had no child care, no family help and my husband started a new job/no leave.

Will they force her into some communal childcare situation there though? I don’t want her to be exposed to COVID or traumatized by having sub-par childcare with people she doesn’t know.

[Anonymous]

Traumatized? Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe that they provide childcare but that it has limits (only above a certain age, child must be potty-trained ,etc). I just said that I had a child who didn’t yet qualify for the childcare. I got it pushed a few times but not excused. I got called a few times in DC and had to call everyday and never actually had to come in person.

One time I was seated on a jury, but naively said that I liked the police and had a good experience with them when I was the victim of a crime (which was true). I was immediately dismissed. If I get called again in DC, I will effusively praise the police and probably get struck by the defense.

This is a good idea. Both sides usually want me because I look like a nice, white liberal woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Traumatized? Lol

Well, yeah, I think it would be really traumatic. She’s never been in the care of anyone other than me, my husband, or our former nanny.