New Moms Excused From Jury Duty
New moms excused from Jury Duty. Getting called in for jury duty can be a pain, but needing to feed your baby during long court sessions can add a whole new set of complications. If you live in Florida, you don’t need to worry about that.
New mom excused from jury duty in Florida. This is all thanks to a new bill that was just signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. HB 461 creates a new excusal for women who recently gave birth. In order to qualify, a woman must have given birth within six months before the reporting date. The new mom will need to request to be exempt from jury service. The law is set to take effect on July 1.
A judge can also dismiss someone who is a practicing attorney, doctor, or has a physical disability.
Jurors will typically serve for the duration of the trial. Those who are employed with regular wages are not entitled to payment for the first three days of service, but those who are not regularly paid can get a compensation of $15 per day for the first three days of service.
After the first three days, each juror is entitled to be paid $30 per day afterward.
How are jurors selected
Jurors are selected randomly under Florida state law. They are pulled from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records, through driver’s license or ID cards.
Each juror must be 18 years old, U.S. citizen or legal resident of Florida, and a resident of the county where you are being summoned.
Who else can be excused from jury service
Besides new moms excused from jury duty, You can also be excused if you meet any of the following criteria:
- You are a full-time federal, state or local law enforcement or investigator
- You are pregnant
- You are a parent who does not have a full-time job and are caring for a child of a child under 6 years old
- You are 70 years old and above. In these situations, you can request to be permanently excused from jury duty.
- You are a caretaker for someone who cannot care for themselves “because of mental illness, intellectual disability, senility, or other physical or mental incapacity.
- You can request to be excused if you “can demonstrate hardship, extreme inconvenience or public necessity.”
A person who is summoned and has reported as a prospective juror is exempt from jury service for one year.
A judge can also decide to dismiss an attorney, doctor or someone with a physical disability.
