FLORIDA - JURY DUTY

1. Are physicians exempt from jury duty in Florida?

A presiding judge may, in his or her discretion, excuse a practicing physician.

F.S.A. § 40.013

(a) No person who is under prosecution for any crime, or who has been convicted in this state, any federal court, or any other state, territory or country of bribery, forgery, perjury, larceny, or any other offense that is a felony in this state or which if it had been committed in this state would be a felony, unless restored to civil rights, shall be qualified to serve as a juror;

(b) Neither the Governor, nor Lieutenant Governor, nor any Cabinet officer, nor clerk of court, or judge shall be qualified to be a juror;

( c ) Any full-time federal, state, or local law enforcement officer or such entities' investigative personnel shall be excused from jury service unless such persons choose to serve;

(d) No person interested in any issue to be tried therein shall be a juror in any cause; but no person shall be disqualified from sitting in the trial of any suit in which the state or any county or municipal corporation is a party by reason of the fact that such person is a resident or taxpayer within the state or such county or municipal corporation;

(e) Any expectant mother and any parent who is not employed full time and who has custody of a child under 6 years of age, upon request, shall be excused from jury service;

(f) As noted above, a presiding judge may, in his or her discretion, excuse a practicing attorney, a practicing physician, or a person who is physically infirm from jury service, except that no person shall be excused from service on a civil trial jury solely on the basis that the person is deaf or hearing impaired, if that person wishes to serve, unless the presiding judge makes a finding that consideration of the evidence to be presented requires auditory discrimination or that the timely progression of the trial will be considerably affected thereby. However, nothing in this subsection shall affect a litigant's right to exercise a peremptory challenge;

(g) A person may be excused from jury service upon a showing of hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity;

(h) A person who was summoned and who reported as a prospective juror in any court in that person's county of residence within 1 year before the first day for which the person is being considered for jury service is exempt from jury service for 1 year from the last day of service;

(i) A person 70 years of age or older shall be excused from jury service upon request. A person 70 years of age or older may also be permanently excused from jury service upon written request. A person who is permanently excused from jury service may subsequently request, in writing, to be included in future jury lists provided such person meets the qualifications required by this chapter.

(j) Any person who is responsible for the care of a person who, because of mental illness, mental retardation, senility, or other physical or mental incapacity, is incapable of caring for himself or herself shall be excused from jury service upon request.

F.S.A. § 40.013

Copyright Kern Augustine Conroy and Schoppmann, P.C. Used with permission.