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Jury Duty

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To Contact Jury Management
Phone:
(407) 665-4392
Fax: (407) 665-4545
Email: jury@seminoleclerk.org

 

 

Reporting Information

When you receive your jury summons, you will need to complete the Online Registration.

Through this process, you will have the choice of receiving electronic notifications (texts/emails) as to any changes to your reporting status.

To verify if your service is required or has been moved to another date, click on “Online Registration” after 6pm the Friday before your report date. Unless otherwise indicated, if your juror status says “SUMMONED”, you need to report to the location, on the date and time as shown.

Jury Web Screenshot

If your juror status says “ENDED”, your jury service has been concluded for at least one year.

Reporting information will also be available by calling 407-665-4834, after 6:00pm on the Friday before your reporting date.

If you are called to report for jury service and have not completed the online registration or juror questionnaire, you will be required to do so upon arrival before checking-in.

If you have any questions or need to speak with a jury clerk, please call 407-665-4392 between the hours of 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Thank you.

Transportation Information

LYNX Bus Service will provide free transportation for Seminole County jurors who are fulfilling their civic duty. Present your summons to the driver for transportation to and from the courthouse. This bus pass is good only on the date of your jury service as printed on your summons. Jurors serving more than one day will receive a bus pass from jury staff. Please visit www.golynx.com or call 407-841-2279 for route information.

About Jury Service

About Jury Service

Ultimately, our entire system of justice comes down to one person; you, the juror.

Taking the time to serve as a juror, to listen to all the evidence and to decide honestly and fairly, is perhaps the most important duty you, as a private citizen, can perform.

The decisions you make will never, ever be routine.

You could be asked to decide the fate of someone accused of murder, or to settle a multi-million-dollar lawsuit. You could be asked to decide what does or does not amount to negligence in a complicated civil suit, or to recommend the appropriate punishment in a capital crime.

I realize that your time is valuable, and that taking the time to serve as a juror might seem awkward or inconvenient. But it is time well spent. The Judges, court personnel, my staff and I are committed to doing everything we can to make your time here in the courthouse as positive and productive as possible.

As we are always looking for ways to improve our service to you, we have implemented an online jury registration system. With this system, you will be able to register online from the convenience of your home and check your reporting status at any time. You will also be able to request a one-time postponement up to six months and change your reporting date to another week.

When you report for jury service, you will simply scan your summons and have a seat. You will no longer have to stand in line or wait to fill out any information for your jury service as long as you have registered prior to your report date.

Juror Qualifications

Juror Qualifications

To qualify as a juror, you must be a United States Citizen at least 18 years of age, a legal resident of the State of Florida and of Seminole County, possess a driver license or identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or have executed and submitted the application for your desire to serve as a juror.

Juror Summons

Juror Summons

Names are randomly selected from the list of names supplied annually by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. If you are chosen as a juror, you will be notified by mail. The jury summons you receive will include the time, date, place of your appearance, a phone number to call for automated messages, your jury ID number, and your group number as well as additional instructions and information. It is important to keep your summons until your service has ended, as you will need it for the check-in process if your group number is called to report.

If you fail to report for jury duty and have not obtained an excusal, you may be found in contempt of court. The presiding judge will make that decision. It is in your best interest to make every effort to appear or request an excusal.

Exemptions and Disqualifications

Exemptions and Disqualifications

Please note that the court requires supporting documentation to be submitted with your excusal requests. Documentation can be emailed to Jury@SeminoleClerk.org, faxed to (407) 665-4545, or uploaded to your juror account through the  Jury Web Solution.

You will be excused for the following reasons:

  • Persons under prosecution for any crime
  • Convicted Felon (Civil rights not restored)
  • Served as a juror in Seminole County within the year immediately preceding REPORT DATE of this summons
  • Not a resident of Seminole County
  • Not a citizen of the United States

You may be excused for the following reasons:

  • 70+ years of age, wish to be temporarily or permanently excused
  • Expectant mother (provide written statement)
  • A woman who has given birth within the last 6 months (provide written statement)
  • Parent, not employed full time, with custody of child under the age of 6 (provide written statement)
  • Student 21 and under
  • Person who is physically infirm
  • Person who, because of mental illness, intellectual disability, senility, or other physical or mental incapacity, is permanently incapable of caring for him/herself may be permanently excused (provide physician’s statement)
  • Responsible for the care of someone who is mentally impaired or incapable for caring for him/herself. (provide explanation)
  • Active full time federal, state or local law enforcement officer or such entities’ investigative personnel. (provide written statement)
Payment for Jury Service

Payment for Jury Service

Jurors who are regularly employed and receive regular wages during jury service are not entitled to compensation for the first three days of jury service. Jurors who are not regularly employed or who do not receive regular wages during jury service are entitled to $15.00 per day for the first three days of jury service. Jurors who serve more than three days will be paid for the fourth and subsequent days of service at the rate of $30.00 per day, regardless of employment status. You will not receive compensation for mileage.

Payment will be made via payment card to any juror who registered online and answered “no” to the question regarding compensation for jury duty.  If so, 24 to 48 hours after your service has ended, you will receive a text/email (if provided) with a link to claim your funds.  You do not need to activate or use the card to receive your funds.  Please contact CourtFunds at www.courtfunds.com or (877) 287-2448 for issues with registering or for help with other ways to receive your funds.

Picking a Jury

Picking a Jury

When prospective jurors are called to a panel for a particular case, the judge and the attorneys will ask questions regarding jurors’ backgrounds. This process is called “voir dire” which means “to speak the truth”. These questions are not meant to embarrass, instead, they are designed to ensure that members of the jury have no opinions or past experiences that might prevent them from making an impartial decision..

Length of Service

Length of Service

Your jury service is for one day or one trial unless the court orders otherwise. On the first day, jury selection will be made for the trials going forward that week. If you are selected to serve on a jury panel, the trial will start on the first day or you will be given instructions by the court when to report back for the scheduled trial. Most trials last one week or less and we try to give you at least a month’s notice.

 

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