Jury service is an important part of our judicial system and a necessary civic duty, required by law. The goal of the Clerk’s jury staff is to summons qualified jurors made up of a fair cross section of the community including working individuals, retirees, members of different sexes and social backgrounds, to constitute a legal jury for the civil and criminal courts of Wakulla County.
Potential jurors are drawn at random from three sources in accordance with F.S. 40.01 and 40.011:
- Wakulla residents that hold a valid State of Florida’s driver’s license
- Wakulla residents 18 years old or older that hold identification cards issued by the Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
- Wakulla residents 18 years old or older who have voluntarily submitted affidavits offering their name for possible use in jury selection
The basic requirements for being eligible for Jury Duty are as follows:
- U.S. citizenship
- Legal residency within the county that issues the summons
- Minimum age of at least 18 years
What to expect when you arrive for jury duty.
Before any trial begins, the court begins with a process called "vior dire" which is Latin for "to speak to the truth". It is a legal process in which the judge determines through a series of instructions and questions whether or not each prospective juror can be fair and impartial. From the list of prospective jurors and jury is empaneled for the trial. The number of jurors depends on the type of case being tried.
You need to read the jury summons for specific instructions on what to do. The summons will instruct you on when you need to report for jury service. You will need to call 850-926-0345 after 5:00 p.m., the DAY BEFORE you are scheduled to report to receive a recorded message as to whether or not your service is still required. If you are scheduled to report on a Monday please call the above number on the weekend to hear the message.
Once you have called the number listed above to confirm you are to report for jury service, you are to report for Jury Service at the location and time stated on your jury summons. The Courthouse is located at 3056 Crawfordville Hwy, Crawfordville, FL 32327. Both Courtroom A and Courtroom B are located on the 2nd floor of the Courthouse.
Generally, but not always, the first day of jury service is limited to jury selection. Not all potential jurors are selected to serve on the jury. If you are not selected as a juror, you will be released from service on this first day. Depending on the type of trial, the selection process may take as little as several hours or all day. If you are selected as a juror, you will be instructed when to return for the trial. The circumstances of each trial are different and the length of each trial varies.
The dress code for court is general business attire. Casual attire is acceptable. However, you should not wear tank tops, shorts, or flip-flops.
If you are a person with a disability in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who needs an accommodation in order to participate in the jury selection process, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Clerk’s Office at 850-926-0359 within two (2) working days of receipt of your jury summons.
If you believe you have a circumstance, medical or otherwise, for which you might need to postpone jury service or be excused from jury service, you may contact the Clerk’s Office at 850-926-0359 for instructions on how to make this request.
Chapter 40 of the Florida Statutes state that “a person 70 years of age or older shall be excused from jury service upon request” and “a person who is 70 years of age or older may also be permanently excused from jury service upon written request. To make such a request, please complete this Jury Excusal or Postponement Request form and mail it to 3056 Crawfordville Hwy, Crawfordville, Fl. 32327 Attention Jury.
If you will receive regular pay from your employer during jury service, you are not entitled to compensation for the first three days of jury service. If you will not receive regular pay, you are entitled to receive $15 per day for the first three days of service. All jurors will receive $30 on the fourth day and each day thereafter. In order to receive juror compensation, you will need to request compensation at the front Receptionist desk in the Clerk’s Office.
Juror parking is provided free of charge in the rear of the Courthouse as well as the side and rear parking lots next to the Tax Collector’s Office and at the Old Courthouse on High Drive.
