>Justice Kiesel noted that Mr. Bragg could still seek a manslaughter charge against Ms. McCarter, a 47-year-old nurse, for the death of her husband, James Murray. The district attorney suggested in his letter that the judge had “foreclosed” that option, and said in court that he did not “understand it to be something” that prosecutors could do.

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...he doesn't understand that superseding an indictment is something a prosecutor can do? Has he tried asking any of the several hundred felony assistants who work with him about that? It's like a very basic fact of criminal procedure.

Officially you can only be excused for emergencies/unusual circumstances - New York Grand Juror's handbook (page 10). In practice, you should be fine, just bring it up as early as possible.