- Jury Duty Commonly Asked Questions
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How can I be excused from Jury Duty?
All requests for excusal must be submitted in writing. Excusal
is granted unless otherwise notified. You will be contacted only
if there are questions about your request or if your request
is not accepted. Request for excusal due to personal, business,
or medical reasons must be submitted in writing.
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What are the qualifications to be a Juror?
You must be a U.S. citizen at least 18 years of age, a resident
of the State of Florida for one year and Hendry County for six
months, and possess a driver's license or identification card
issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles. If you do not possess a driver's license, you may execute
an affidavit, which may be obtained by calling the Clerk's Jury
Management Office, or by visiting the Jury Management Office
located in the Hendry County Judicial Building 863-675-5214
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How are Jurors summoned?
Names are randomly selected from the list of names supplied annually
by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
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What are the exemptions and disqualifications from Jury Duty
You may be excused for the following reasons:
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- You have served as a juror in Hendry County
within the past 12 months.
You are an expectant mother or a parent who is not employed full-time
and have custody of a child under six years of age.
You are 70 years of age or older.
You are a fulltime federal, state, or local law enforcement officer
or investigative personnel for these entities.
You care for persons who, because of mental illness, mental retardation,
senility, or physical or mental incapacity, are incapable of
caring for themselves.
You are a practicing attorney or physician, or have a physical
infirmity.
- You will be excused for the following
reasons:
You are currently under prosecution for any crime.
You are a convicted felon and have not had your civil rights
restored.
You serve as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, a Cabinet officer,
clerk of court, or judge.
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Will I get paid for Jury Duty?
Jurors who are regularly employed and receive regular wages during
jury duty 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 duty 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 by the State for
the fourth and subsequent days of service at the rate of $30.00
per day.
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Are Jurors examined?
When 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. Excusals
from jury service should not be taken personally. When jurors
are excused, it means only that there are proper and lawful reasons
for the excusals.
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How long must I serve on Jury Duty?
You will be on call for one day appearance unless inpaneled on
a trial taht is not completed in one day, or unless the Court
rules otherwise.
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What are Petit and Grand Juries?
- A petit jury will hear and decide civil
and criminal cases.
- Civil cases are disputes between private
citizens, corporations, governments, government agencies, or
other organizations. Usually, the party who brings the suit is
seeking money damages for an alleged wrong that has been done.
The party who brings the suit is called the plaintiff, and the
one being sued is called the defendant. Civil trials can involve
small claims, personal injury, and medical malpractice cases.
- Criminal cases are brought by the state
against persons accused of committing a crime. In these cases,
the state is the plaintiff, and the accused person is the defendant.
Criminal trials can involve traffic, misdemeanor, felony, and
capital (death penalty) cases.
- A grand jury has broad powers to investigate
a wide range of criminal offenses and to examine the performance
of public officials and public institutions. Its deliberations
are conducted in secret, in conjunction with the State Attorney
or a designated assistant state attorney.
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Where does the Jury park?
There are two parking areas, one is located south of the
Judicial Center and can be accessed from either Main St or Bridge
St. , the other parking area is across from east side of Judicial
Center on Bridge St, north of the Sheriff's office
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Can I call to find out if I have to serve for Jury Duty?
The Clerk's
office has a recorded telephone message that provides jurors
with general information about jury service.
- Please call
LaBelle 612-4747 or Clewiston 902-3343 weekdays after 5pm or weekends to receive this
general message.
- Court cases often settle
between the time summonses are mailed and juries are scheduled
to report.
- Therefore, all jurors
must call LaBelle 612-4747 or Clewiston 902-3343 to verify if
their attendance will be necessary.
- Due to the fact that
most court weeks begin on Monday, the recorded message is activated
from 5:00 P.M. on the Friday before the scheduled report date
and continues through the weekend.
- IF YOU RECEIVE NO MESSAGE
OR IF THE TELEPHONE RECORDING IS NOT IN OPERATION, PLEASE REPORT
FOR JURY DUTY AS DIRECTED BY YOUR PRINTED SUMMONS.
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Americans with Disabilities Act Notice
In accordance with the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, persons
with a disability needing a special accommodation to participate
in this proceeding contact the Clerk not later than seven days
prior to the proceeding at
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Important Things to Remember During the Trial
Jurors should observe the following general rules of conduct:
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- Be on time for court.
The trial cannot proceed until all jurors are present.
Sit in the same seat in the jury box. This allows the clerk,
judge, and lawyers 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 given. If you do not understand any portion of
the trial, you should ask the judge to explain.
Do not talk about the case. You should not talk with anyone about
the case. This includes the clerk, lawyers, judge, bailiff, and
other jurors, unless you have retired to the jury room for 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.