Jury duty always seems to come at an inconvenient time for many people. But for one woman, to say that her summons came at a bad time would be an extreme understatement.
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35-year-old bride Katrina Badowski was preparing for the biggest day of her life. She and her soon-to-be husband, Billy Rodriguez, were preparing for their upcoming nuptials. It was a luxurious destination wedding in Italy. But all of that nearly came to a screeching halt. When she was summoned to appear for Jury Duty -- on the same date as her wedding.
Bride Summoned to Jury Duty on Same Date as Her Wedding
In an exclusive sit-down with PEOPLE, Badowski said that she was shocked to receive the summons from Wyandotte County District Court. Especially because it had been years since she had been summoned to perform her civic duty.
"I find it deeply ironic that I haven't been summoned for jury duty in over a decade, as I would genuinely welcome the opportunity. I've always thought it would be fascinating to experience that civic responsibility, particularly for a complex or high-profile case," Badowski told the outlet. "But when I saw the date on the summons, my jaw physically dropped."
She received the notice from the court on August 14. Two weeks before her August 31 departure.
"The odds of being called on the exact day of my wedding feel like one of those moments where the universe has a sense of humor," Badowski added.
Skipping out on jury duty is not only frowned upon. It's against the law. And it can lead to significant fines and, in some cases, jail time. But Badowski says that because of everything that was invested into their destination wedding, she couldn't respond to the summons on the requested date.
About a week later she sent a note to the jury clerk to request that her date be postopned due to the circumstances. And vowed to fulfill her civic duty as soon as she returns home from her wedding. Thankfully, the Office of The Jury Clerk was more than happy to oblige her request.
"Received and excused you from jury duty. Thank you and Congratulations ?," they wrote in the message.
