A GUIDE TO JURY SERVICE
What qualifies you to be a juror?
You must be a licensed driver in Florida or possess a DHSMV id card, and be a resident of the State of Florida and Wakulla County. [18 years of age or older.]
How are jurors summoned for jury duty?
Jurors names are randomly selected from the licensed drivers and others registered with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from a list that this agency provides our office. [Correct the spelling of vehicles on the original ]
What exemptions are allowed for serving as a juror?
The Florida Statutes provide several possible exemptions the court may use to determine exemption from jury duty (these are not automatic exemptions).
These include:
How do you receive pay for jury duty?
If you will receive regular pay from your employer while you serve as a juror, you are not entitled to jury pay for the first three days of jury duty.
If you will not receive any employee pay for jury duty or if your employer pays your regular pay less whatever you receive as jury pay, you are entitled to $ 15.00 per day for the first three days of jury service.
For all jurors who serve more than three days, each will be paid by the county $ 30.00 per day for day four and beyond.
If you are otherwise eligible for jury duty pay, you may elect to donate your pay to the local domestic violence shelter or to the guardian ad litem program by signing an election form that our office will make available upon request.
If you are excused from jury service at your own request, you are not entitled to receive jury pay.
How long will the jury service last?
Jurors are usually summonsed to appear early in the week and normally the selection of jurors takes place on the first day of service. Sometimes this process is done for several trials from the same pool of potential jurors. The actual trials will follow the selection process, sometimes beginning that same day as the summons. If there are multiple trials for that week, the others will be scheduled for later in the week and those jurors selected will be told what date to report back for their duty. Most trials in Wakulla County last only one day, so the majority of people chosen for jury duty will only serve the day of selection and the day of the trial.
What types of trials might I be involved in?
Cases that come before a petit jury (a jury of 6 persons plus alternate) are divided into Civil and criminal classes. Civil cases involve parties (plaintiff and defendant) who come to the court to determine and settle their respective rights. Criminal cases involve the people of the state of Florida, represented by the prosecutor, and a defendant accused of a violation of the law.
How are jurors selected for the trial panel?
A group of potential jurors are impaneled in a case, and the judge and attorneys will ask some questions regarding the background of the juror. This is done for the sole purpose of assisting the attorneys in deciding which jurors to select to hear the case. There are a variety of reasons for what makes a juror less desirable for hearing a case, and these are usually brought out by the questioning process of the court during the "voir dire" process of examining the potential jurors. After questioning, if any potential juror still has reason to feel that they could not serve as an impartial juror, they should bring this to the attention of the judge.
If a juror is excused for any reason, it is in no way a reflection on the juror. The excusing of a juror in a case only means that in that particular case, it is proper and lawful to excuse him or her.