40.02 Selection of jury lists. - Florida Statutes

40.02 Selection of jury lists.

   (1) The chief judge of each circuit, or a circuit judge in each county within the circuit who is designated by the chief judge, shall request the selection of a jury list in each county within the circuit during the first week of January of each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable. The chief judge or the chief judge’s designee shall direct the clerk of the court to select at random a sufficient number of names, with their addresses, from the list of persons who are qualified to serve as jurors under the provisions of s. 40.01 and to generate a list of not fewer than 250 persons to serve as jurors, which list shall be signed and verified by the clerk of the court as having been selected as aforesaid. A circuit judge in a county to which he or she has been assigned may request additional jury lists as necessary to prevent the jury list from becoming exhausted. When the annual jury list is prepared pursuant to the request of a chief judge or the chief judge’s designee, the lists prepared the previous year shall be withdrawn from further use. If, notwithstanding this provision, some names are not withdrawn, such error or irregularity shall not invalidate any subsequent proceeding or jury. The fact that any person so selected had been on a former jury list or had served as a juror in any court at any time shall not be grounds for challenge of such person as a juror. If any person so selected shall be ascertained to be disqualified or incompetent to serve as a juror, such disqualification shall not affect the legality of such list or be cause of challenge to the array of any jury chosen from such list, but any person ascertained to be disqualified to serve as a juror shall be subject to challenge for cause, as defined by law. The lists, although they may be defective or irregular in form or other formal requirement, or in the number or qualification of the persons so named, shall be the lists from which the names of persons for jury service are to be drawn as prescribed by law.

   (2) The clerk of the court shall be responsible for preserving the security of the jury lists.

   (3) The clerk of the court shall perform the duties set forth in this section and in ss. 40.221, 40.23, and 40.231 in counties having an approved, computerized jury selection system, the provisions of any special law or general law of local application to the contrary notwithstanding. However, the chief judge may designate the court administrator to perform these duties if the county provides funding to the court administrator to provide the personnel and other costs associated with jury services.

History. s. 2, ch. 4015, 1891; s. 2, ch. 4122, 1893; GS 1571; s. 1, ch. 6531, 1913; RGS 2772; s. 2, ch. 12068, 1927; CGL 4444; s. 1, ch. 28281, 1953; s. 3, ch. 67-154; s. 6, ch. 73-334; s. 3, ch. 79-235; s. 246, ch. 95-147; s. 61, ch. 2003-402.