WHEN the call comes to serve on a jury to judge his or her peers, every citizen must go along on the appointed day to hear a case, be it a murder trial, embezzlement, or burglary. Failure to do so can result in a fine or imprisonment.
It's not that she is refusing to go, it is simply that, at the age of three, she doesn't understand what it's all about!
The letter calling her to do her duty dropped on the doormat at her home and stunned her mum, Julie Minham, 39,when she opened it.
"It really threw me when I opened it," says Julie. "I have never heard of a child having to sit on a jury!
"We had just come back from holiday and were opening the post and I didn't like the look of the letter.
"At first, we laughed it off, but then we realied it was no laughing matter.
"It said that if we didn't reply to the letter, there could be a £1,000 fine.
"Fortunately, Francesca doesn't know what's going on."
The jury service website says: "Receiving a jury summons means you are legally required to attend court. Please do not be worried about this, most people overcome their initial concern and find jury service interesting and rewarding."
Julie contacted the Jury Central Summoning Bureau in London and was kept waiting in a queue for ten minutes with a recorded warning not to swear or be abusive to officials!
But, when she finally got through, Julie says the person was "quite rude" to her.
"They said I must have accidentally putting my daughter's name on the Electoral Roll but I would never have dreamt of doing that. They need an excuse."
The official then told Julie to fill in Francesca's date of birth on the form and send it back and she is not expecting to hear any more apart, perhaps, from a letter of apology.
Meanwhile, Francesca remains completely oblivious to the whole escapade and looking forward to beginning school because, in the very same post that the jury summons arrived, was a nicer letter registering her to start school next year.
The family is just hoping that Francesca's brother, aged four months, doesn't receive a jury summons next!