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(Last updated February 15, 2007) |
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Kentucky Hall of SHAME! page 4 |
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Kentucky |
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Stacey Whittaker In the Fall of 1999, Stacey was called to jury duty in Owensboro, Kentucky. She requested to be excused because she has 3 young children and home schools her oldest child! The judge refused to excuse Stacey, and she ended up serving on FIVE trials!
She had an extremely difficult time making childcare arrangements. Since she didn’t know when she would be called, she had to acquire care for her children at the last minute. Sometimes her friends helped out, but it was mostly her grandparents who kept the children. These people were in their late 70’s — hardly able to keep up with 3 small children!
Stacey’s jury service also interrupted her home schooling efforts. Not only did her child suffer because he got behind on his school work due to Stacey’s absence, he also missed a critical testing period. Due to the patchwork childcare arrangements, her younger children were traumatized every time Stacey had to leave them for Jury Duty. Her children didn’t know from day to day where they would be. Even after her Jury Service was over, this ordeal had lasting effects — her children would get extremely upset and cry whenever Stacey had to leave!
Stacey told me that no
matter what she said to the judge, it had made no difference. She felt she
was treated very shabbily, especially since the judge
excused a man in front of her because he
had a part-time job! What was this judge thinking? |
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If you have been mistreated by the Courts in this way, or if you know of others that have, Please e-mail me and share your story! |