If you are breast-feeding you must be excused from jury duty in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. KRS 29A.100(4) provides: “The judge shall excuse a mother who is breastfeeding a child or expressing breast milk from jury service until such time as the child is old enough that the mother is no longer breastfeeding the child.”

Jury duty is a vital part of being a citizen. And similarly breast-feeding is a vital part of being mother. Twelve states have statutes specifically addressing breastfeeding and jury duty.
• Kentucky not only provides an exemption for breastfeeding mothers, but also those who are expressing breast milk
• Idaho, Kansas, Oregon and Nebraska provide that jury duty will be postponed until the mother has completed nursing the child.
• Oklahoma law states that a mother breastfeeding a “baby” shall be excused upon request.
• Illinois and Virginia law provides that a mother nursing her “child” shall be excused upon request.
• Iowa excuses breastfeeding mothers who are not employed outside the home.
• Nebraska requires a medical certification.
• Mississippi provides that a breastfeeding mother may be excused as a juror.
• California law provides that the jury duty summons must include a reference to the court rules providing an exemption for breastfeeding mothers for up to year.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has taken a firm stance on this issue, by excusing breast-feeding mothers from jury duty. Find out what your state’s position is on this issue.

Kurt A. Scharfenberger