How can you get out of jury duty in Miami or Broward? Can you postpone it? What to know

Are you eligible for jury duty in South Florida?

Jury duty is a crucial part of our democracy, but for many people, it can be a confusing and uncertain part as well.

How are juries chosen? Who is eligible? Can you postpone your civic duty? What happens if you don’t show up?

Here’s what to know about jury duty in Miami-Dade and Broward counties;

How are people selected to receive a jury summons?

The state of Florida uses Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records to identify potential jurors, not voter registration records. If you have a Florida driver’s license or a state ID card, and you are eligible, you can be randomly selected for jury duty, according to the Florida Clerk of Courts.

Who is eligible for jury duty in Florida?

To serve on a state jury in South Florida, you must meet the following requirements:

▪ 18 or older.

▪ Citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

▪ Live in the county where you are called for jury service.

▪ Have a Florida driver’s license or ID card from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Who is ineligible for jury duty in Florida?

If you meet any of the following criteria, you are ineligible to serve on a Florida jury:

▪ Being prosecuted for a crime.

▪ Convicted of a felony in Florida or any other state/jurisdiction.

▪ If you are the governor or a member of the cabinet.

▪ If you are a circuit court clerk or judge.

Can you ask to be excused from jury duty?

You can ask to be excused from jury service, but to be let off, you have to prove that you fall into one of these categories, according to the court websites:

▪ You are a full time, sworn, federal, state or local law enforcement officer.

▪ You are an expectant mother/parent who is not employed full time.

▪ You are a parent with sole custody of a child under 5 years old who is not employed full time.

▪ You are 70 or older.

▪ You are responsible for caring for someone who cannot care for themselves.

▪ You have already served on a Florida jury in the past year.

▪ You have a physical, mental, or intellectual disability or illness.

In Broward County, if you are a full-time student 18 to 21, you can choose not to serve. The same goes for active military personnel and people who have given birth within six months of their jury duty date, according to the Broward court website.

All requests for exemption must be submitted at least seven days before the date of jury service.

The court may require proof that you fall into some of these categories, including a signed note from a doctor or a certificate of previous jury duty attendance.

Can you postpone jury duty?

If you are called for jury duty, and you cannot attend due to scheduling or any other reason, you can postpone your service for up to six months.

If you do want to postpone your jury duty, you must request the postponement at least seven days before your jury duty report date. Requests for postponement can be submitted online through the Miami-Dade or Broward court websites.

If you are summoned for jury duty, are you automatically chosen?

“The most common misconception is that just because you receive a jury summons that you will automatically get chosen for a jury panel,” said Brenda D. Forman, the Broward County clerk of courts.

If you are summoned for jury duty, it does not mean that you will be chosen to sit on a jury; it just means that you are eligible, according to Forman.

“It’s similar to being interviewed for a job,” Forman said.

The attorneys involved in the case ask each potential juror questions, and then decide together who will sit on the jury and who will go home.

Can you be paid for jury duty?

Some people are entitled to compensation for their time at jury duty.

If you have a job and your employer continues to pay your regular wages while on jury duty, you will not be paid by the state.

If you are unemployed, or your employer does not continue to pay you wages while on jury duty, then you will be paid by the court.

Florida will pay jurors $15 a day for their first three days of jury service. If your jury duty lasts longer than three days, then you are entitled to $30 a day for each additional day.

How do you report for jury duty in Florida?

▪ In Broward County, prospective jurors are required to arrive at the courthouse at 7:45 a.m. on their report date. If your jury summons says you are a “Call-in juror” then you must call 954-831-8471 after 5 p.m. the day before your report date to be told if you are needed the following day.

▪ In Miami-Dade County, prospective jurors must complete an online questionnaire through the juror portal prior to the deadline listed on the summons. Once you have submitted the questionnaire, you will receive specific reporting instructions from the court. If you are on standby for jury duty in Miami-Dade, you might be called to service any day of the week listed on your summons. In this case, you will receive an email the Friday before the listed week with a more specific schedule. Jurors must also bring their summons to the courthouse in Miami-Dade.

▪ For both counties, “appropriate attire” is required. This means no shorts, no uniforms, and in Broward, no flip-flops or tank-tops. The courts also suggest that jurors bring a sweater.

What happens if you don’t show up for jury duty?

If you don’t show up for jury duty, and you don’t get a postponement or exemption, you can be fined $100 by the state, according to court websites. You might also be held in contempt of court, which can lead to more serious punishments like community service and even jail time.

Where are the courthouses?

Miami-Dade:

▪ Criminal courthouse is at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 NW 12th St.

▪ Courthouse for civil cases is in downtown Miami at 73 W. Flagler St.

▪ Federal courthouse is at 400 N. Miami Ave.

Broward:

▪ Circuit courthouse is at 201 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale

▪ Federal court us at 299 E. Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale

How do you tell if your jury summons is a scam?

In Miami-Dade and Broward, the courts have issued warnings about jury scams. There have been reports of Floridians getting phone calls from people claiming to be court officials. The scammers tell people that there is a warrant for their arrest because they didn’t appear for jury duty. The scammers then ask for payments in order for the person to avoid arrest.

Failing to appear for jury duty in Florida is not grounds for immediate arrest, according to this video from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and court officials will never ask for payment over the phone.

What are the rules for federal jury duty?

Serving on a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida is different than being a juror in a Florida state court.

Federal jurors are “on call” for two or three weeks at a time, and can even be a juror on more than one trial during that period. Grand jury service, which are not trial juries but are used to determine probable cause in U.S. government cases, can last even longer.

Federal jurors, unlike state ones, are chosen from lists of registered voters in their county. If you do serve on a federal jury, it will be two years before you are eligible to be picked again. Even if you have served on a state jury in the past year, you can still be picked for federal jury duty.

Federal courts require you to complete a questionnaire and mail your answers back to the court when you receive a summons. As part of that questionnaire, you can request a postponement or to be excused from service entirely.

Federal jurors are paid $50 a day for jury service, as well as mileage reimbursement for their travel to the courthouse.