What information must a physician include on a medical statement for jury postponement in Colorado?
Executive summary
A physician’s medical statement to seek postponement or disqualification from jury service in Colorado must do more than say “unfit”—the courts expect specific identifiers, a clear medical conclusion about the juror’s ability to perform the duties, and professional contact and licensing information; state forms and guidance list the precise data fields and the statutory authority permitting the request [1] [2] [3]. Courts and jury commissioners retain discretion to request documentation and to treat some excuses as temporary or permanent, so the document should address timing and any functional restrictions to avoid delays or denials [2] [1].
1. What the statement must state about the juror’s condition
The note must explicitly state that the juror “cannot perform jury duty for medical reasons” or otherwise describe the physical or mental restrictions preventing satisfactory juror service, rather than offering only vague or ancillary comments; Colorado judicial guidance instructs that a licensed medical professional must specifically state the juror cannot perform jury duty and describe whether the excusal should be temporary or permanent [2] [1]. The standard for “capable of rendering satisfactory juror service” used by courts includes the ability to perform a sedentary job requiring close attention for approximately six hours per day for three consecutive business days with short breaks, so describing how the condition interferes with that functional standard is practical and often expected [1].
2. Required identifying information: juror details and dates
Medical statements must list the juror’s appearance date and juror number so court staff can match the documentation to the correct summons; municipal guidance explicitly requires inclusion of appearance date and juror number on the medical statement [4]. Additionally, courts ask the practitioner to indicate whether the condition is temporary and, if so, when the person will be able to serve again—meaning the note should give an estimated date or timeframe for return to service when applicable [1] [2].
3. What the physician (or authorized clinician) must include about themselves
The form used by Colorado courts requests the name of the treating provider, business address, business phone, and license number, and the signature under penalty of perjury reflecting the provider’s sworn statement—so clinicians should supply full professional contact details and their license identification on the medical statement [1]. Colorado’s rules permit statements from licensed physicians, licensed physician assistants authorized under state law, advanced practice nurses (APNs), and in limited contexts even Christian Science practitioners, so who signs matters for acceptability [1].
4. Temporary vs. permanent excusal and breastfeeding specifics
If the request is for a temporary postponement the practitioner must indicate whether the excusal should be temporary or permanent and provide timing; Colorado Judicial Branch materials explicitly instruct that the note should indicate whether the excusal should be temporary or permanent and statutes specifically allow medical statements to support breastfeeding postponements of defined duration [2] [3]. For breastfeeding mothers the statute authorizes up to two consecutive twelve‑month postponements and notes the judge or jury commissioner may request a medical statement in support, making clear the note should connect the clinical facts to the statutory basis if relying on that provision [3].
5. How courts use and receive medical statements, and limits of the reporting
Court offices and jury commissioners may require written documentation in advance or permit submission by email or fax; county and judicial-branch pages state that medical statements can be e‑mailed or faxed to jury offices and that commissioners may request additional documentation or clarification [2] [5]. Reporting reviewed here does not settle every local practice—municipal courts vary in form layout and submission channels—so while statewide guidance specifies core content and provider types, local jury commissioners retain operational discretion and may ask for further specifics or ask the judge to rule [2] [3].
6. Practical caveats and recommended details to avoid disputes
To minimize back-and-forth, clinicians should mirror the court form fields—juror name, juror number, appearance date, clear statement of incapacity or restrictions tied to juror functions, estimated ability-to-serve date if temporary, full provider name/contact/license, and signature under penalty of perjury when using the court form—and note the treating relationship and pertinent diagnoses only as needed to justify functional limits; Colorado guidance and municipal FAQ pages make these expectations explicit and show courts will rely on concise, actionable statements rather than ambiguous notes [1] [4] [2]. The reporting available does not supply every county’s submission address or sample wording, so clinicians and jurors should consult the local jury commissioner for format and delivery preferences when in doubt [5] [2].