Bill Text: FL S0086 | 2010 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: Excuse from Jury Service [SPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Messages [S0086 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S0086-Comm_Sub.html

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Florida Senate - 2010                               CS for SB 86 
 
By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senator Sobel 
590-01396-10                                            201086c1 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to excuse from jury service; amending 
3         s. 40.013, F.S.; expanding parental eligibility to be 
4         excused from jury service; authorizing a presiding 
5         judge to excuse a practicing psychologist from jury 
6         service; providing an effective date. 
7 
8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
9 
10         Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 40.013, 
11  Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
12         40.013 Persons disqualified or excused from jury service.— 
13         (4) Any expectant mother, any mother who is breastfeeding a 
14  child under 2 years of age, and any parent who is not employed 
15  full time and who has custody of a child under 6 years of age, 
16  upon request, shall be excused from jury service. 
17         (5) A presiding judge may, in his or her discretion, excuse 
18  a practicing attorney, a practicing physician, a practicing 
19  psychologist, or a person who is physically infirm from jury 
20  service, except that no person shall be excused from service on 
21  a civil trial jury solely on the basis that the person is deaf 
22  or hearing impaired, if that person wishes to serve, unless the 
23  presiding judge makes a finding that consideration of the 
24  evidence to be presented requires auditory discrimination or 
25  that the timely progression of the trial will be considerably 
26  affected thereby. However, nothing in this subsection shall 
27  affect a litigant’s right to exercise a peremptory challenge. 
28         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.