Katie Couric's Notebook: Jury Duty

Judges across the country say they're now hearing a lot of people begging to be excused from jury duty. Sole breadwinners worry about paying the bills - or even losing their homes if they have to miss work. And some people with jobs fear they'll be laid off if they're away too long.

Forcing more people to serve isn't really an option. A disgruntled juror often isn't a good juror. So, courts have to send out even more summonses to insure big enough pools.

As the term implies, serving on a jury is our duty. But we also have a responsibility to our families. It's a shame that sometimes in a tough economy we have to choose between being a good citizen and being a good provider.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.