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We
of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida fully recognize
and appreciate the significant role our jurors serve in the
American Justice System. They make it possible for our courts
to fulfill the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury by
rendering verdicts which determine the outcome of both civil
and criminal cases. Our judiciary and administrative staff
are committed to making jury service in our civil and criminal
courts a comfortable, informative and rewarding experience.
Parking
Information: Jurors
are responsible for parking fees, but parking is available
at the following locations: Jurors reporting to the Dade County
Courthouse Jury Pool may park in the Stephen P. Clark parking
lot on N.W. 3rd street at 1st Court Jurors reporting
to the Richard E. Gerstein Jury Pool may park at the lot on
N.W. 13th avenue just to the south of N.W. 12th street. Another
lot is at the east end of the Mahi Temple on N.W. 14th Avenue/North
River Drive, also just south of N.W. 12th Street.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Jury
Service
Note:
The following Frequently Asked Questions apply to the majority
of citizens in Miami-Dade County who are summoned to the Dade
County Courthouse Jury Pool or the Richard E. Gerstein
Justice Building Jury Pool.
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.
Page 2 of the summons states that 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 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 page
2 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 normally
runs 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):
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Persons
who are under 18 years of age;
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Persons
who are not U.S. citizens (proof of non-citizenship
must be submitted);
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Persons
who are no longer residents of Miami-Dade County;
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Persons
who served as a juror within one year of their summons
date;
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Persons
presently under prosecution for a crime;
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Convicted
felons who have not had their civil rights restored;
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Deceased
persons (death certificate must be submitted).
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The following persons are allowed to serve, but MAY be
excused from jury duty upon written request:
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Persons
physically unable to serve (doctor's certificate must
be submitted);
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Persons
responsible for the care of an infirm or disabled family
member, who are not employed full-time;
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Expectant
mothers;
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Active,
full-time law enforcement officers;
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Persons
70 years of age or older;
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Parents
with a child under 6 years of age, who are not employed
full-time.
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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 page 1 of the summons, complete all "yes, no"
questions on page 2 , including name, telephone number and signature,
and mail the entire summons to the address located above the
juror badge. ALL REQUESTS MUST BE IN WRITING. TELEPHONE REQUESTS
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
How
do I postpone my jury duty?
It
is a policy of the Court to grant first requests for postponement
of jury duty. If the date of jury service is inconvenient, write
a short letter stating why you need to be postponed, complete
the "yes, no" questions on page 2 of the summons,
including name, telephone number and signature, and mail the
letter and summons to the address located above the juror badge.
In your letter, you may request a specific Monday or Wednesday
which falls between 4 to 12 weeks from the date you are scheduled
to serve, or a random future date will be assigned to you. Requested
dates are usually accommodated. Students must provide the date
of their next school break. ALL REQUESTS MUST BE IN WRITING.
TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Where
do I go for jury duty?
Please
check page 2 of your summons carefully to verify you are called
to jury duty at one of the following locations: (Click on the
appropriate location for maps, directions and parking instructions.)
The Jury Pool, located at the Dade
County Courthouse, is at 73 West Flagler Street, 2nd Floor;
The Jury Pool, located at the Richard
E. Gerstein Justice Building,
is at 1351 N.W. 12th Street, 7th Floor.
Jurors noticed for the United States District Court, Southern
District of Florida (Federal Court) must report to the address
indicated on the summons.
What
do I do if I've lost my jury summons?
Call
(305) 349-7775 for assistance, Tuesday through Friday, between
2:00 pm and 4:00pm, and 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 will most likely have been summoned
to Federal Court (United States District Court, Southern
District of Florida) and will be instructed to call 523-5003
and press the number 1 to be connected with 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, whose telephone number is (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 they are called to the courtroom as part
of a jury panel, or group of jurors. Jurors on the panel
then go through a procedure called "voir dire" in
which judges and attorneys ask the jury panel questions about
their background. These questions are to assist the lawyers
in deciding which jurors to select.
Through this questioning process, 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:
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Carefully
follow all instructions of the judge;
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Do
not be late for court. The trial cannot proceed until
all jurors are present;
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Sit
in the same seat in the jury box. This allows the judge,
lawyers and clerk to identify you more easily;
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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;
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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.
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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.
ON THE FOURTH DAY of jury duty and beyond, all jurors
automatically receive $30.00 per day. 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 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:
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The
employee is regularly scheduled for work at least 35
hours a week;
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The
employer has at least 10 full-time employees;
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The
employee serves as a juror in Miami-Dade County;
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The
employer has offices or does business in Miami-Dade
County; and,
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The
employee gives the employer copies of the summons and
notice of jury service at least five working days prior
to absence from work.
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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)
349-7170 |
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