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(Last updated December 12, 2005) |
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Ohio Hall of SHAME! P2 |
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More Ohio Horror Stories on next page |
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Ohio |
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Denise Stokes, breastfeeding mother to 8-month old Daniel was called for Jury Duty by the Wood County Common Pleas Court in April 2002. She was not excused, even though she was nursing an infant! This is her story: ..."I felt like a milk machine for the first five months," Denise said. "By the time I was through nursing him and burping him, it was time to start all over again."
For this reason, Denise was more than a little put out that Wood County Common Pleas Court did not agree that her status as a nursing mother should excuse her as a potential juror.
"According to them, it's (breastfeeding your baby) is not a 'reasonable' excuse. Well, that's crazy!" said Denise, who, for the record, is not averse to jury duty. The wife of a lawyer, she has high regard for this civic duty - just not right now, when every third hour belongs to her son...
(It's a nursing-mom thing. You might not understand, but trust me: Denise has a point, which can range all the way from extreme discomfort to nasty infection.)
Still, court officials tell me state law provides no exemption for breastfeeding - so Denise Stokes reported for jury duty yesterday at 8:29 a.m., Daniel on one hip.
…”I’m a proud, nursing mother”, (said Denise), “but (state law) says that’s not good enough. What do we have to do to change this situation?” Excerpts taken from the article, “Nursing Mom Bewildered by Jury-Duty Call” by Roberta De Boer, The Toledo Blade, April 30, 2002 |
