Mothers shared their experiences about nursing and childcare when summoned to jury duty in Jefferson County, which ultimately sparked change.

Alabama mom Kandace Brown says she attempted to seek exemption from jury duty while breastfeeding her 3-month-old infant who ‘depends on me for life,’ but she claims she was met with pushback from court officials.

A mother shouldn’t be relying on a subjective, sympathetic judge to determine whether she can feed her baby or not,” Rep. Susan DuBose said.

It’s a challenge countless breastfeeding moms face, and it’s why Alabama’s new policy, which excuses nursing mothers from jury duty, is so significant. This ruling not only alleviates a huge burden for breastfeeding moms but also represents progress in normalizing the realities of women’s lives within our legal and societal systems.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Share BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Breastfeeding women in Alabama will be excused from jury duty, the state’s ...

Sorrell said Alabama currently has no law exempting nursing mothers from jury duty. Alabama House Representative Susan Dubose said after hearing Brown’s story she plans to file a bill regarding this at the 2025 Legislative Session.

The Alabama Supreme Court issued an administrative order Jan. 17 regarding procedures in excusing prospective jurors from service. The Court stated in its order that a nursing mother of an infant child qualifies for an excuse from jury service in advance of the person's summoned date to court.

Only days after the incident, public outry led to a new state order excusing breastfeeding women from jury duty.

Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia Grace and later successfully petitioned a court to legally re-age her, claiming she was really an adult.

Kandace Brown is an Alabama mother of four with an exclusively breastfed infant. When she received a jury summons in December 2024, she tried to postpone her civic duty but allegedly received pushback from Jefferson County courts.

Alabama Supreme Court Grants Breastfeeding Women Exemption From Jury Duty After Public Outcry BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Breastfeeding women in Alabama will be excused from jury duty, the state's ...

An Alabama woman is claiming she was forced to attend jury duty while breastfeeding — and it has sparked outrage in her community. Kandace Brown of Morris said she was summoned for jury duty in ...