Any SAH Parents with Experience Receiving a Jury Summons

I've marked the childcare excuse box twice now in Texas and have never had any sort of problem. I moved here from Naperville 6 years ago but I don't remember if I ever received a summons after I was a SAHM in Illinois.

Good luck,
K.

If you write a letter stating hardship and the fact that you are the child's only babysitter they excuse you. I used to get them when I was breastfeeding my children or when I was their sole caretaker. Everytime I sent a letter stating I couldn't, there never was a problem.

I called and the lady I talked to said I had to write a letter saying I was a SAH mom with no available daycare. I wrote a letter and sent it certified mail and I plan to call and see if it worked this week. Good luck!

All you have to do is tell them that you are the sole caregiver. That's it.

My husband is a stay-at-home-dad and got out of jury duty in Chicago a few months back under Illinois Statute 705 ILCS 305/10.2(b). That law provides, among other things, that if you are the primary caretaker of a child under 12 and alternative care is not reasonable, you are excused from jury duty for hardship purposes. He sent a letter citing that law and was excused without having to go in at all.

Read your summons carefully. It might tell you whether being sole-caregiver is an automatic excuse. If the summons doesn't mention it, go to the court's website (either search your state website for it or your county website). It might provide more detail about being excused from duty.
As an aside - I hope that once your daughter is in school full time, you get to participate in the jury system. Although most people see it as a burden (and I have at times), it is also gratifying to take part in such an important aspect of our civil society. I learned a lot both times I sat on a jury.
Best regards -

There should be a place on the jury summons that you check or write in the answer on why you can't be on a jury. Last time I put, full time care taker of three children.

Three weeks later I received my letter excusing me from showing up.

I would call in--they can let you off the hook over the phone. I had to call in a couple to times to be let out of jury duty. Once when I had a newborn and was nursing and another time when I had no reliable childcare. They definitely do not want you to bring your kids with you.

If you live in Illinois, you have to write a letter explaining your a SAHM and do not have anyone to take care of your child and that you do not work outside the home. Submit it with your summons and that's all you have to do. I've had to do it twice in the last 9 years but haven't heard from them in years. Hope this helps.

I don't know in your state but in NJ being a full time caretaker is enough to be excused (not just a child also if you care for an older person or someone with a disability). That was just this year. In the past I had to call in the night before to see if they needed me. One time I had to call in a few days in a row but I never served.

Funny you should post this I was just discussing w/ my hubby when had my summons last year had come? Basically in CA, there was some disclaimer that if you were a caretaker of someone and didn't have anyone to substitute it would excuse you from serving...also in Ca there was an option to check that if you were nursing an infant you didn't have to serve until a yr later, which I guess at that point they assumed the baby wasn't "attached" to you...I thought that was unusual but interested. I couldn't decided which one to do so, I checked the nursing one...b/c I could have found someone to watch my kids even tho' it would have been a inconvenience for me. so I guess I should be expecting a summons again shortly but couldn't remember how long I planned to nurse....LOL!!

I was excused because I am at-home nursing mom, but my summons required me to write a letter and mail it in. I never received a response to my letter, but I'm assuming no one minded!

I've used the childcare excuse twice (several years apart) and never heard back, so it must have been fine. It's best to respond quickly, I think. Good luck.

I have received a summons twice as a SAHM and my daughter is only 4 years old... The first time I had to go in and wait while the judge decided how to dismiss and who to keep, thankfully he dismissed me due to me being a SAHM with a two month old baby (I did not bring the baby with, I understand that it is a pain to find someone while you sit there BUT it is a privilege and a duty as a an American to service in this manner)... The second time I had to call in to see if I had to go sit and wait, guess what the case was dismissed or settled out of court and I did not even need to go in (knew by 8 or 9 am). The very first time I was selected for jury duty I had just turned 18, well I went in and was picked... so in 10 years I have been summoned 3 times, 1 served, 2 dismissed.

Morethenlikely you will be excused for childcare dilemma, if not start looking for someone you trust NOW. It could be another SAHM mom, a friend from church, exhaust all possibilities. Once you are selected to sit on a jury, which usually happens after your summoned (varies from court to court so check up on your counties rules) there is no getting out of it and you usually have to go in at that very moment to sit on the jury/case (you really do not want to have a kid to deal with at that point). Also it really depends who else is summoned, because they may have better excuses then you, the jury also has to be a wide range of people so it really depends what the group is like that the judge is selecting from.

I have been summoned 3 times in the last 6 yrs of being a sahm I waited called everyday but was finaly excused by day 3 or 4 of the week I didn't worry about returning the card back stating why I can't attend because they can summon you again then at that time you have to attend, if I did get called I would of just at that time had to have my baby son with me or both my kids with me because lack of childcare yes I have family but I only use them for emergecy situations only this wasn't an emergency.And the likel;y hood of them picking me to be on jury LOL

About 15 years ago I had my first jury summons. I also had small children as well as a home daycare with no family in the area. They let me off due to my own children, but would not if it was just the daycare. You should have no problem.
Good Luck!

When I was summoned there was an actual box I could check on the back of the summons to be excused that said "I am responsible for the unpaid care of a minor child between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM" It was with the other excuses like "I am a correctional officer"

Take a look. If you can't find it, call the court and ask. Otherwise just write it in, but keep it short and clear. "I am a stay at home mom with no nearby, reliable childcare. I am the sole care provider for my child on week days."

Good luck,
T.

My daughter was younger when this happened to me. She was a baby and I only worked part-time. My husband was my childcare when I worked & I was childcare when he worked. Since jury duty would involve weekdays during regular business hours, my husband could not provide the childcare and we had nobody else (no family here, fairly new to our home). My summons was also for a federal court in Chicago and it stated in the letter that there was no parking there & public transportation was strongly suggested. I just wrote a short letter to the judge explaining that I would have to bring my daughter & I didn't feel that it was safe for her to be transported via public transportation since she still needed a car seat. I immediately got a letter back dismissing me. I was nervous about it but it turned out to be really easy. I'm sure they don't want a child in the courtroom and it's not like they don't have anybody else to choose. Good Luck!

I have been summoned twice. I wrote them back stating that I have young children at home that I care for during the day. I was excused both times without a problem.

Hi Michelle,

When I was a Nanny I was excused because I was the sole child care. I suggest calling and not just showing up with your daughter, you may get in trouble over that.

Good Luck

R. Magby

I don't think you'd have any problems being excused. I was summoned when I was breastfeeding last year. I called and spoke to someone as well as sending in a signed letter explaining my my situation. I didn't have any problems. I think they will understand your situation and excuse you as well.

Good luck!

Hi, I received a summons last year here in CO and was told that being the sole provider of a child was not an excuse to miss jury duty. They said that it was my responisibilty to find child care. I was offered the chance to postpone 1 time, in order to find suitable child care, but had to reschedule for within the next 3 months. I am a SAHM and also had no reliable childcare for my 2 year old but that made no difference to them. I rescheduled for 3 months later and my husband took the day off work, unpaid..luckily I was not chosen to be on the jury and he just had to miss that one day.

I run a daycare out of my home and have two kids. They still said I had to attend the first day. Are you a single parent? You have no friends, no family or anyone that could help you out for one day? I told all the parents to find other childcare for the day, and my husband stayed home with our children. He has a very busy job, but he was able to stay home for one day. I was told that most judges read your card and see that your type of work and look to see if you have young children that are barely in school. I was also told by a friend of mine who is a judge that they usually throw your card at the bottom of the pile so that your name will probably not be called. Also, if you are chosen you can speak with the judge about your situation. But most likely you won’t be chosen. Most trials really only last for about two to three days, and we must all remember that it sucks but it is our duty to serve. That may sound cheesy but the truth is we all have to be on a jury at least once in our lifetime.

I don't know about in IL, but when I got my jury summons here in Texas, I got excused immediately. I said I had no daycare and I was the primary care for my daughter and they let me out.

Each court is different, each judge is different. I had jury duty almost 2 years ago, the women I spoke with said child care was not enough of a reason to be excused, even the lady who ran a day care out of her home was not excused. However, my SIL was excused when she was the caregiver for my very sick MIL.

they don't care. Show up with child if you have to but show up.