Preschooler Mistakenly Summoned for Jury Duty in Connecticut

A preschooler from Connecticut was mistakenly called to serve on a jury, likely due to her name being pulled from a government database that didn’t include a date of birth.

Zara Ibrahimi, just 4 years old, has recently begun to read independently. Interestingly, she loves the color pink, often dressing in that color from head to toe.

In early February, Zara was summoned to appear as a juror.

Her father, Dr. Omar Ibrahimi, was surprised when he opened the letter from the Connecticut Judicial Branch, initially thinking it was meant for him. Much to his disbelief, the letter was addressed to Zara.

“We told her, ‘Zara, you’ve been called for jury duty,’ and she just looked at us and said, ‘I’m still a baby!’” Dr. Ibrahimi recalled. “I’m sure they won’t actually put her on the jury since this was a mistake,” he added.

A spokesperson from the Connecticut Judicial Department, responsible for jury service, indicated that Zara’s name likely surfaced through the Connecticut Department of Revenue, which doesn’t share dates of birth.

Though it was a mix-up, Dr. Ibrahimi filled out the required forms, indicating that Zara hadn’t graduated high school, which seemed the closest fit as she prepares for kindergarten.

“It would have been cute for her to be a juror, but I’m confident that in 15 years, she’ll be ready for her civic duties,” he said.

Officials confirmed that it would be “no problem” to excuse Zara from jury duty.

Interestingly, Zara isn’t the first child to receive such a summons. Back in 2018, a 4-year-old boy in Pennsylvania was notified but also excused due to being in kindergarten that day.

Additionally, a 9-year-old girl in Brooklyn received a jury summons for a mock trial situation in 2000, despite her parents trying to notify the court of the error. She remarked, “I’m the only one I know who got called up.” Reflecting on her experience, she added, “Last time I wasn’t really interested, but now that I’m older, I’m learning a lot more about courtrooms and the roles of everyone involved.”