Q. Why is jury duty important?
A. The sixth and seventh amendments of the U.S. Constitution ensure all American citizens have the right to a jury trial, where their legal disputes will be decided by fellow Americans. This right cannot be exercised without fellow citizens willing to step forward and serve on a jury. One of our judges says it best: “Be the type of juror you would want if you yourself ended up needing a jury.” It is a critical responsibility we must uphold if called upon to serve.
Q. What role does the clerk’s office play in jury management?
A. Our office plays a key role by summoning and checking-in prospective jurors. We send out 300 – 500 notices monthly with the names and addresses randomly pulled from information provided by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Q. What is the process for a resident summoned for jury duty?
A. Upon receiving the notice, those being summoned are welcome to check-in online and submit any excusal or deferral requests. After all of these are processed, we usually end up with 50 – 100 qualified jurors, some of whom are selected for voir dire, where they head up to the courtroom for questioning by the parties’ lawyers. The process essentially starts with a larger pool before whittling down to a panel consisting of potentially six to 12 selected jurors.
Q. How does your office assist residents with the jury duty process?
A. Our Jury Coordinator prepares, and issues summons for jury duty, provides juror reporting information, and assists jurors with excusal, exemptions, registration, and compensation.
Our team works hard to ensure your jury experience is as comfortable and efficient as possible. We strive, along with the judges, to shepherd prospective jurors through the process as quickly as we can. From check-in through qualification, you will be in great hands with our exceptional team.
Q. What is the best way for residents to contact you?
A. Residents can call my office at (904) 819-3601 or my cell at (904) 599-8688. My email address is BPatty@stjohnsclerk.com. A lot of questions can be answered by visiting our website, www.stjohnsclerk.com , which is most commonly used to pay traffic citations or search court records.
