Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 534
       
       
       
       By Senator Sobel
       
       
       
       
       31-00523-12                                            2012534__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to persons excused from jury service;
    3         amending s. 40.013, F.S.; expanding parental
    4         eligibility to be excused from jury service;
    5         authorizing a presiding judge to excuse a practicing
    6         psychologist from jury service; providing an effective
    7         date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 40.013,
   12  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   13         40.013 Persons disqualified or excused from jury service.—
   14         (4) Any expectant mother, any mother who is breastfeeding a
   15  child under 2 years of age, and any parent who is not employed
   16  full time and who has custody of a child under 6 years of age,
   17  upon request, shall be excused from jury service.
   18         (5) A presiding judge may, in his or her discretion, excuse
   19  a practicing attorney, a practicing physician, a practicing
   20  psychologist, or a person who is physically infirm from jury
   21  service, except that a no person may not shall be excused from
   22  service on a civil trial jury solely on the basis that the
   23  person is deaf or hearing impaired, if that person wishes to
   24  serve, unless the presiding judge makes a finding that
   25  consideration of the evidence to be presented requires auditory
   26  discrimination or that the timely progression of the trial will
   27  be considerably affected thereby. However, nothing in this
   28  subsection does not shall affect a litigant’s right to exercise
   29  a peremptory challenge.
   30         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.