A bride from Kansas City has gained attention online after receiving a jury duty summons for the very day of her wedding in Rome.
Katrina Badowski, who is 35, found out last month that she was supposed to serve a week of jury duty starting Monday—the same day she was set to marry her fiancé, Billie Rodriguez, 42—over 5,000 miles away.
“I was completely taken aback,” she recounted to KSHB outside the Wyandotte County District Court, still in her wedding dress and recalling the notification she received on August 14.
“I couldn’t believe the date,” she added, not hiding her shock.
Later, she shared the summons in a TikTok video, humorously noting, “The odds of getting summoned for jury duty on your wedding day are low, but they’re not zero.”
In her post, she also said, “The government wants to be involved in my marriage SO BAD.” That video has since gained 1.4 million views.
Badowski was informed of the possible consequences for skipping jury duty without notifying the court. In Kansas, missing jury duty can lead to fines of $100 for each day absent, along with potential contempt of court charges.
Stuck in a tough spot, she expressed her desire to serve but acknowledged the conflict with her wedding plans.
“It’s ironic. I haven’t been summoned for over a decade, and I’d actually like the chance to participate,” she shared with People.
“I’ve always found it fascinating to engage in such civic duties, especially for notable cases,” she continued. However, due to the destination wedding logistics—all flights and venues confirmed—it was impossible for her to attend jury duty.
Eventually, she contacted court officials, and the issue was resolved. The court even sent her a kind message saying, “Received and excused from jury duty. Thank you and congratulations.”
On social media, many users chimed in, recounting their own experiences of jury duty coinciding with significant life events. One person shared, “I got called for jury duty on my 18th birthday,” adding that they managed to get excused due to a snowboarding trip.
Another Instagram user mentioned receiving a summons on the day they gave birth. Others joked about the situation being “poetic,” and one even suggested that the jury should be invited to her wedding abroad.
