Howard Coker | June 5, 2025 | State Law
Seeing a jury duty summons in the mail often leads to one immediate thought: “How can I get out of this?” Some individuals may be able to get out of jury duty, but others may only be able to reschedule jury duty. It depends upon specific factors that are unique to each situation.
Keep reading this blog post from our experienced personal injury lawyers to learn more about factors that may lead to dismissal from jury duty.
What Disqualifies You from Jury Duty in Florida?
Some individuals are not qualified to serve on a jury. If you do not meet the qualifications, you can get out of jury duty by notifying the clerk of court.
The qualifications for jury duty in Florida are:
- You must be at least 18 years old and a United States Citizen.
- You must have had your civil rights restored if you lost the right to serve on a jury as a result of a felony conviction.
- You cannot currently be serving as a clerk of court, judge, lieutenant governor, governor, or cabinet officer.
- You must be a resident of the county where the court is located.
- You cannot have served on a jury in the county within the past 12 months.
- You cannot be under prosecution for a crime.
The above qualifications are mandatory. You cannot serve on a jury if you do not meet these qualifications.
Even if you do not meet the qualifications for a juror, you must respond to the jury summons. If not, the court may issue penalties for failing to appear for jury duty.
Exemptions to Jury Duty in Florida
Florida has several optional exemptions that you can use to avoid jury duty. However, you must ask the court to be excused because of an optional exemption. Failure to appear or request an exemption can result in penalties.
Optional exemptions include:
- You are pregnant.
- You are the parent of a child under six years old and not employed full-time.
- You have given birth within the past six months.
- You are 70 years old or older.
- You are a full-time student between 18 and 21 years old.
- You are the sole unpaid caregiver of someone who is physically or mentally incapacitated.
- You are a full-time local, state, or federal investigator or law enforcement officer employed by a law enforcement agency.
There are other ways you might be able to get out of jury duty, including pressing health issues. The process for requesting an exemption from jury duty for medical reasons may vary by county. In Duval County, your physician must complete a specific form and submit it to the court.
You may also request to reschedule your jury duty service if you have a significant scheduling conflict. The court will decide whether your conflict qualifies for an excuse from jury duty. A minor inconvenience may not qualify as an excuse for jury duty.
Unfortunately, most people qualify for jury duty. Even though it might require you to be out of work or reschedule some appointments, jury duty is vital to our judicial system.
What Is a Juror’s Function in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Many personal injury lawsuits are settled through negotiations with the insurance company or the at-fault party. Cases go to trial when the parties cannot agree upon a settlement.
Jurors serve as the fact finders at trial. It is their job to listen to the evidence to determine the facts of the case. Then, they decide whether the plaintiff (i.e., injured party) proved the legal elements to hold the defendant (i.e., alleged at-fault party) legally responsible for damages.
Contact The Personal Injury Law Firm of Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers For a Free Consultation
If you need counsel on jury service obligations or have been injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact our experienced lawyers at Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
We serve all areas in Jacksonville and Duval County and the surrounding areas.
Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers
136 E Bay St #5438
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 356-6071
Find us with our Geo Coordinates: 30.32569719086265, -81.65515220132858
