| What
is a jury?
A jury is a body of qualified citizens selected
and sworn to decide disputed issues of fact in a civil
or criminal trial, according to the law and the
evidence presented in court.
When I receive
a jury summons, what do I do?
When you receive a jury summons, read it carefully
as it provides answers to almost every question about
jury duty. The summons contains a juror badge, information
regarding excusing or postponing service, payment and
parking instructions. You must bring the summons with
you when reporting for jury duty. All jurors are on
telephone standby and must call the telephone number
indicated after 5:00 pm the night BEFORE their
start date for recorded instructions on whether to report
the next morning or remain on standby. The telephone
number for jurors on standby who are reporting to the
Jury Pool at Dade County Courthouse is (305) 349-7222
and for the Jury Pool at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice
Building, it is (305) 548-5575. The recording will call
jurors by their summons number, so please locate this
number in the top left hand corner of your summons prior
to telephoning. If there are no recorded instructions,
jurors must report at 8:00 am on their day of service.
Jury duty is normally from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, but
trials may continue past 5:00 pm and jurors may be asked
to make any necessary arrangements.
How long will I serve?
The State of Florida utilizes a one day/one
trial jury management system. That means that if you
report for jury duty and are not selected to serve on
a jury at the end of the first day, you will not have
to report again the next day. However, if you are selected,
you must serve until the end of the trial or until the
judge indicates that you are no longer needed. The average
length of a jury trial in Miami-Dade County is three
days.
What are valid reasons for
being excused from jury duty?
The following persons MUST be excused
from jury duty (are not allowed to serve):
| Persons
who are under 18 years of age; |
| Persons
who are not U.S. citizens (proof of non-citizenship
must be submitted); |
| Persons
who are no longer residents of Miami-Dade County; |
| Persons
who served as a juror within one year of their
summons date; |
| Persons
presently under prosecution for a crime; |
| Convicted
felons who have not had their civil rights restored; |
| Deceased
persons (death certificate must be submitted). |
The following persons are allowed to serve, but MAY
be excused from jury duty upon written request:
| Persons
physically unable to serve (doctor's certificate
must be submitted); |
| Persons
responsible for the care of an infirm or disabled
family member, who are not employed full-time; |
| Expectant
mothers; |
| Active,
full-time law enforcement officers; |
| Persons
70 years of age or older; |
| Parents
with a child under 6 years of age, who are not
employed full-time. |
Note: Work or transportation hardships are
not valid reasons to be excused from jury duty.
Jurors wishing to be excused must check the appropriate
box on the summons, complete all "yes, no"
questions in the employment section, including name,
telephone number and signature, and mail the entire
summons to the address located on the juror badge.
ALL REQUESTS MUST BE IN WRITING. TELEPHONE REQUESTS
FOR EXCUSAL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
How do I postpone my jury duty?
It is a policy of the Court to grant one request
for postponement of jury duty. If the date of jury
service is inconvenient, write a short statement on
the postponement section of your summons indicating
the reason you need to be postponed, complete the
"yes, no" questions in the employment section
of the summons, including name, telephone number and
signature, and mail the letter and summons to the
address located on the juror badge. In your letter,
you must request a specific non-holiday, Monday or
Wednesday within 90 days from the date you are scheduled
to serve. Requested dates are usually accommodated.
Students must provide the date of their next school
break.
Where do I go for jury duty?
Please check your summons carefully to verify
which of the following locations you have been summoned
to: (Click on the appropriate location for maps, directions.)
Jurors noticed for the United States District Court,
Southern District of Florida (Federal Court) must
report to the address indicated on that summons.
What do I do if I've lost
my jury summons?
Call (305) 548-5695 or (305) 349-7775 for
assistance, Tuesday through Friday, between 10:00
am and 4:00 pm, please have your driver's license
ready so that the jury pool staff can locate your
summons number and determine where you are to report.
If our jury pool staff cannot locate your summons
number, you likely have been summoned to Federal Court
(United States District Court, Southern District of
Florida) and will be instructed to call (305) 523-5190
to reach the Federal Court jury pool staff. A comparatively
small number of Miami-Dade County citizens are summoned
to serve on the Grand Jury at the Dade County Courthouse,
which can be reached by dialing (305) 349-7558.
What should I expect when
reporting for jury duty?
An orientation film will be shown upon arrival
which explains the jury selection process. Jurors
must remain in the jury pool assembly room until their
panel or group is called to the courtroom. This panel
or group is then asked questions in the courtroom
by the judge and attorneys in a process called "voir
dire." The answers to these questions assist
the lawyers in deciding which jurors to select to
hear the case.
A jury of six or twelve members will be selected and
sworn for the trial. The jurors who are not selected
must return to the jury pool assembly room to be placed
on another panel.
What are some general rules of conduct
I should observe as a juror?
All jurors should observe the following simple
rules of conduct:
| Carefully
follow all instructions of the judge; |
| Do
not be late for court. The trial cannot proceed
until all jurors are present; |
| Sit
in the same seat in the jury box. This allows
the judge, lawyers and clerk to identify you more
easily; |
| Listen
carefully. It is important that you hear every
question asked and every answer given since your
verdict will be based on the evidence presented; |
| Do
not talk to anyone about the case until the judge
instructs that you are allowed to do so. This
includes the clerk, lawyers, judge, bailiff, family
and friends. You may not talk to other jurors
about the case until you all have retired to the
jury room for final deliberations. If anyone
tries to talk to you about the case or attempts
to influence you as a juror, you should
report it to the judge immediately. |
What happens if I do not
report for jury duty?
Jurors not reporting for duty may be held in
contempt of Court and/or fined up to $100.
Do I get paid by the State
for jury duty?
DURING THE FIRST THREE DAYS of jury duty,
payment by the State is as follows:
If your employer continues to pay regular wages while
you are serving on jury duty, you will not receive payment.
If you are unemployed, or your employer does not pay
regular wages, you will receive $15.00 per day from
the State of Florida for the first three days of service.
After juror orientation, a Request for Compensation
Form must be obtained from the Jury Pool staff
and completed.
If jury duty lasts four days or more, all jurors automatically
receive $30.00 per day for the fourth day of service
and each day thereafter, regardless of employment status.
A Request for Compensation Form is not necessary. One
check is mailed for each week of jury service and each
check is mailed approximately four weeks after the week
served.
Will I receive my salary
from my employer for time spent on jury duty?
Sections 11-31, et seq., of the Code of Metropolitan
Miami-Dade County provides that employers are to pay
employees for jury service if:
| The
employee is regularly scheduled for work at least
35 hours a week; |
| The
employer has at least 10 full-time employees; |
| The
employee serves as a juror in Miami-Dade County; |
| The
employer has offices or does business in Miami-Dade
County; and, |
| The
employee gives the employer copies of the summons
and notice of jury service at least five working
days prior to absence from work. |
Payment under this ordinance does not include commissions.
If a juror receives payment for jury service from the
State, the employer may deduct this amount from the
employee's pay.
What do I give my employer to document
the time I spent on jury duty?
An attendance certificate, which specifies the
dates of jury service, may be obtained from the Jury
Pool staff at the end of a juror's service.
Can I be fired from my job
for serving on jury duty?
No. Florida law prohibits any employer from
firing an employee who is serving on jury duty.
How are jurors picked from
the general population?
Approximately 300,000 citizens in Miami-Dade
County are randomly selected by a computer each year
to be summoned to jury duty for the Eleventh Judicial
Circuit of Florida. Summonses are mailed to citizens
who possess a valid driver's license or identification
card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles.
Who do I call if I am a person
with a disability who needs assistance to participate
in jury duty?
Please contact ADA Coordinator, at:
| Voice
Mail: |
(305)
349-7175 |
| TDD: |
(305)
349-7174 |
| Fax
No:. |
(305)
349-7011 |
|
