A Connecticut dad was left stunned and amused when his 4-year-old daughter, Zara, received a jury duty summons. The notice arrived with all the seriousness of any other civic call, prompting Dr. Omar Ibrahimi to breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn't for him.
However, as he looked at the paper, he was perplexed - why would his young daughter be summoned for jury duty? When asked about her role in the process, Zara responded with skepticism, asking "What's that?" and explaining she was just a baby. Her dad attempted to explain the concept of listening to evidence and deciding on guilt or innocence, but she dismissed it.
It appears that 4-year-olds are not eligible for jury duty due to a bureaucratic quirk in Connecticut's system, which only uses DMV, voter records, labor department, and revenue services data - without birthdates.
Zara's older siblings have been overlooked so far, leaving Dr. Ibrahimi scratching his head. He attempted to get Zara off the list by submitting a humorous text: "I haven't even completed preschool yet, excuse me." The summons was ultimately rescinded.
As it stands, Connecticut's judicial branch must contend with a system that sometimes results in children being unwittingly drawn into its proceedings - all while trying to remain objective and impartial.
However, as he looked at the paper, he was perplexed - why would his young daughter be summoned for jury duty? When asked about her role in the process, Zara responded with skepticism, asking "What's that?" and explaining she was just a baby. Her dad attempted to explain the concept of listening to evidence and deciding on guilt or innocence, but she dismissed it.
It appears that 4-year-olds are not eligible for jury duty due to a bureaucratic quirk in Connecticut's system, which only uses DMV, voter records, labor department, and revenue services data - without birthdates.
Zara's older siblings have been overlooked so far, leaving Dr. Ibrahimi scratching his head. He attempted to get Zara off the list by submitting a humorous text: "I haven't even completed preschool yet, excuse me." The summons was ultimately rescinded.
As it stands, Connecticut's judicial branch must contend with a system that sometimes results in children being unwittingly drawn into its proceedings - all while trying to remain objective and impartial.