Michigan Hall of SHAME! (4)

(Last updated March 5, 2005)

Michigan Hall of SHAME! p 4

Michigan

As of March 2004, Kim Milligan, a breastfeeding, full-time mother of a 21-month-old son, had been called for jury duty by the 94th District Court in Escanaba, Michigan four times in the past 20 months! With each summons, Kim turned in the information cards sent to her and wrote she was breastfeeding and made it clear that she was the sole daytime caregiver. When she requested in writing to be deferred because she had no one to take care of her child during her jury service assignment, her request was denied. When Kim personally asked the Deputy Court Clerk to have her service postponed, the clerk treated Kim with zero compassion saying that it didn’t matter that she was breastfeeding or had no family to care for her child, she still had to serve! The clerk then told Kim to put her son in daycare. The clerk further insulted Kim by comparing Kim’s situation to someone not wanting to serve due to losing too much money! That’s mean and unfair! Kim doesn’t get a paycheck for her job as a stay-at-home mother... she is not motivated by money!

Rather, her request to postpone her service is motivated by concern for her son! What mother wouldn’t be worried about having to place her child in an untested, unfamiliar, childcare arrangement, especially at the last-minute, so they could perform jury service for an unpredictable amount of time?

Kim is more than willing to fulfill her civic duty, just not now when her child is so young and requires her constant care.

Michigan residents, please see information on Michigan House Bill 4455, which would have allowed parents or guardians having active care and custody of a child under the age of 4 (during the courts’ normal hours of operation), to defer jury service, upon request. The above link will explain how you can help with ongoing efforts to enact this worthy, family-affirming initiative.