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(Last updated June 20, 2005) |
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Organizations Endorse Family Friendly Jury Duty Legislation page 8 |
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Mothers of Color at Home |
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Mothers of Color at Home Donna A. Treadwell, Editor, MOCAH The Magazine for Mothers of Color at Home
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MOCAH editor Donna Treadwell, along with her husband, Jimmie, “Hearts at Home” director, Jill Savage, and Illinois Senator Margaret Smith successfully passed “Family Friendly Jury Duty” legislation for Illinois in the Summer of 1999. This initiative permits homemakers with children under 12 and other caregivers the option to defer jury duty if serving causes a legitimate family hardship. Donna and her husband had the measure drafted after Donna was summoned for jury duty in 1997 and was unable to complete her service because she didn’t have anyone to care for her four children, then 2 to 8. When she requested to have her jury service deferred, she was lectured on her obligation to serve and was told lack of childcare was not a consideration. Recalling the frustration she felt, Donna said, “Here I was trying to do what I’m required to do - take care of my family and essentially they (the court) were telling me my family wasn’t that important.” “My effort (to enact this legislation) was born out of my personal jury summons”, Donna states. “It was a great day when we were to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify. Several other mothers joined me and we marched right in there with our kids. It was something. I felt like Rosa Parks...doing something to stand up against injustice and make a difference”. |
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From left are Jill Savage, Director, Hearts at Home, Illinois Sen. Margaret Smith (D-3), and Donna Treadwell, who spearheaded family friendly jury duty legislation for Illinois. |
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Organizations endorse Family Friendly Jury Duty |
