BFing and Jury Duty= jailtime

[heatherweh]

My husband sent me this link:

Go to this website -
http://cfc.wjla.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=11338&ref=home

A breast feeding mother was given one night in jail because she didn't
want to go to jury duty because of her breastfeeding. Unreal.

[Bethla]

That must have been some judge!

[Meiri]

Can't watch the video, but I'd be seriously looking into a lawsuit on the baby's behalf.

[JamesMama]

Oh for crying in the flipping dark. Kidney dialysis? I have a good friend that was on dialysis...if he didn't go in for his THREE times a week treatments he'd have DIED. Oh yes, it's much better that people die or babies be punished so that people can serve out their civic duty.

Thank goodness breastfeeding is an acceptable excuse in Iowa...

[acannon]

"Maladies that afflict the human condition"??!! Breastfeeding one's child is NOT a malady that afflicts the human condition! That's seriously what it sounded like the man in opposition to this on the video said. Did it sound like that to anyone else, or just me? He could've easily misspoke or something.

[heatherweh]

I know, I was so taken aback when the spokesperson came out and said "If we allow mothers to get out of jury duty for breastfeeding then we'd have to let people out of it for chemotherapy or dialysis"- all he needed was to be twirling his mustache sinisterly. Then the courthouse hung up on the reporter! I have never heard such rubbish. It is sick that these people are considered "public servants".

[~Megan~]

OMG, the legislator saying that if they excuse breastfeeding mothers then they'd have to excuse people on kidney dialysis or chemotherapy.

They damn well better be excusing those people!!!

[Bridie's Mama]

Is this for real?????????? I am so surprised we are not hearing more about this nationally. That is unbelievable.

I'm mad at the judge & at the senator who was speaking on camera. Truly ignorant.

[muppet729]

and he was 12 WEEKS OLD! OMG drop

I mean, I am an extended breastfeeding mama, and I know that makes me an exception to a lot of mainstream people (and kind of wierd in their eyes ) but most people would support teh idea that a 12 WEEK OLD could/should still be nursing! WOW!

[junipermuse]

We are so lucky where I live it doesn't even matter if you're breastfeeding, if you are the primary caregiver for a child under 5 then you don't have to serve jury duty. Frankly a 12 week old baby should be at home with his mama even if they were formula feeding. We do have an exemption for mother's who are breastfeeding also though, but its a one year postponement. But all in all I think the whole jury system is pretty messed up. I won't even get into it though because I could go on and on.

[mommaduck]

You have got to be kidding me! That's just messed up!

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by acannon

"Maladies that afflict the human condition"??!! Breastfeeding one's child is NOT a malady that afflicts the human condition! That's seriously what it sounded like the man in opposition to this on the video said. Did it sound like that to anyone else, or just me? He could've easily misspoke or something.

That was my first thought too when that um, well I want to use a very strong cussword to describe that guy but I'm sure you can fill in the blank, man said that.

Breastfeeding a baby is not a condition...I just started laughing so hard when he said it...how could ANYONE think that!?!?!?!?

So unreal.

-Caitrin

[theboysmama]

Originally Posted by acannon

"Maladies that afflict the human condition"??!! Breastfeeding one's child is NOT a malady that afflicts the human condition! That's seriously what it sounded like the man in opposition to this on the video said. Did it sound like that to anyone else, or just me? He could've easily misspoke or something.

I had to replay the video bcs i thought that he couldn't have really just inferred that breastfeeding was a malody, but he did. rubbish

[mytwogirls]

WOW! That is unreal. Thank god at least Nebraska has a law getting breastfeeding mamas out of jury duty.



Neb. Rev. Stat. §25-1601-4 (2004) states that a nursing mother is excused from jury duty until she is no longer breastfeeding and that the nursing mother must file a qualification form supported by a certificate from her physician requesting exemption.

[Moonglow Girl]

I can't view the video, but I'd be curious to hear more about what state this happened in and the details of how the mom requested a postponement or exemption.

I was summoned and served my jury duty with a breastfeeding infant.

Accomodations were available, but you had to follow their rules about the timing and form of the request. Silly but very typical of gov't bureaucracy.

Requesting a postponement after their deadline meant you lost that option. Requesting by phone instead of in writing and then failing to show up on the first day of service were not OK, no matter what your "excuse."

If this mama was already appearing before a judge for sentencing, chances are she's getting in trouble more for not "playing by their rules" (as ridiculous as they might be) than she is for simply being a breastfeeding mom with an initial summons for duty.

[mamajake]

The state was Maryland and the reporting on this has been pretty crappy. This case does involve a mom who did not appear on the date of her summons.

I admit - I did the same thing three times. I scrawled "breastfeeding mother" on my summons and sent it back. I was just lucky that I didn't get cited for contempt for failing to appear. People really have to be sure that they have gotten excused before not going on the date of their summons.

I'm not trying to excuse the judge being a creep in this case but some of the press reports have been unclear.

[homeschoolingmama]

I sent the form back in saying I was breastfeeding and they excused me.
I don't know what I would have done otherwise.
Some people just don't get it!

[Hopesmommy]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

OMG, the legislator saying that if they excuse breastfeeding mothers then they'd have to excuse people on kidney dialysis or chemotherapy.

They damn well better be excusing those people!!!

Exactly.