Bill Text: FL S1714 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Juror Sanctions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Judiciary [S1714 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S1714-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1714
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       24-01249-24                                           20241714__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to juror sanctions; amending s. 40.23,
    3         F.S.; revising available sanctions for any person who
    4         is duly summoned to attend court as a juror and fails
    5         to attend without any sufficient excuse; prohibiting a
    6         court from imposing a term of imprisonment on any
    7         person who fails to attend as a juror without any
    8         sufficient excuse and is found in contempt of court
    9         unless the person is able to obtain legal
   10         representation; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 40.23, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         40.23 Summoning jurors.—
   17         (3)(a) Any person who is duly summoned to attend as a juror
   18  in any court and who fails to attend without any sufficient
   19  excuse is subject to the following sanctions or any combination
   20  thereof:
   21         1. shall pay A fine not to exceed $1,000 $100, which fine
   22  shall be imposed by the court to which the juror was summoned.
   23         2. A term of imprisonment not to exceed 3 days.
   24         3. An order to perform community service., and,
   25         (b) In addition to the sanctions specified in paragraph
   26  (a), the such failure to attend as a juror without any
   27  sufficient excuse may be considered a contempt of court.
   28  However, the court may not order any term of imprisonment for a
   29  person found in contempt of court under this paragraph unless
   30  the person is able to obtain legal representation.
   31         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.