What documentation do Colorado courts require to support a medical jury excuse and how should it be submitted?

1. What counts as acceptable medical documentation

Colorado statute and court guidance make clear that acceptable documentation includes medical statements or letters from a treating medical professional and may also extend to other proof like guardianship certificates when dependency is the basis for the request; the statute explicitly lists “medical statements, proof of dependency or guardianship, or other similar documents” as supporting materials a person may provide to request an excuse ^[1], and court forms request the name, license number and business address of the physician, PA, APN or Christian Science practitioner who attests to the condition ^[2].

2. Level of detail and form requirements courts expect

The statewide jury medical-disqualification form and local court guidance show courts expect detailed, legible statements that state the nature of the condition, whether it is temporary or permanent, and—if temporary—an estimate of when the person will be able to serve; the Colorado “Request for Medical Disqualification or Postponement” form asks for the expected duration, provider identification and requires the juror to swear under penalty of perjury to the truth of the statements, warning that incomplete or illegible applications may be invalid ^[2], while municipal and judicial FAQs reiterate that breastfeeding or other medical excuses require a medical statement and that such statements are not public records ^{[3] [4] [1]}.

3. Permanent versus temporary excuses and confidentiality

Statute distinguishes temporary postponements from permanent disqualification: temporary excuses (for example, breastfeeding or a transient medical condition) can be granted and renewed as defined by the court, whereas permanent disqualification requires a determination that the grounds are permanent in nature; moreover, the law instructs that documents submitted in support of such requests “shall not be deemed public records” and must be kept confidential ^[1].

4. How to submit the documentation — channels and timing

Practice across Colorado courts is to submit supporting medical documentation to the jury commissioner or the court in advance of the summons date, using the method specified on the summons or local court website—many counties accept electronic submission, fax or mail and some municipal courts provide webforms for postponement/excusal requests; court guidance and practitioner summaries advise submitting the physician’s letter or form before the reporting date so processing can occur and to avoid a missed-appearance notice ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}.

5. What happens after submission and possible follow-up

After submission the judge or jury commissioner reviews the documentation and may grant a temporary postponement, excuse, or request additional information; courts can require the juror to testify about their representations and may contact the medical provider for clarification, and municipal pages note that courts rarely excuse jurors without sufficient documentation and may require a written doctor’s statement for illness-based excuses ^{[2] [9] [4]}.

6. Practical pitfalls, alternative views and implicit incentives

Legal guides and local practice notes warn of common pitfalls—late submissions, vague provider notes, or illegible forms can cause denial, and some private legal summaries emphasize calling the jury office to discuss accommodations, noting courts balance the state’s need for jurors against individual hardship ^{[5] [6]}; advocacy-minded perspectives stress confidentiality protections in statute, which may reassure those with sensitive conditions but leave open how strictly different courts interpret “sufficient” documentation ^[1].