Hello,
I’m Cindy Stuart, your Clerk of the Court and Comptroller for 
Hillsborough County,
and I’d like to thank each of you for serving.
My office’s mission is simple.
We are dedicated to serving the public by providing excellent customer 
service, safeguarding your records, and protecting the public’s 
financial assets and dollars with equity, transparency and 
independence.
You have been randomly selected for Jury Duty:
one of three thousand potential jurors my office summons every week.
Jury service is a civic responsibility all United States citizens share, no 
matter the duration of the service.
It’s one of the great ways a citizen can participate in our democratic 
system.
This system allows us to uphold the United States and Florida 
Constitutions guaranteeing each citizen a right to trial by jury.
Another way to give back, if you are not compensated by your 
employer, the state of Florida allows jurors to donate their 
compensation to a local charitable organization.
We thank you if you chose to make this election.
Now, here are a few ways we strive to make your time with us as 
comfortable as possible.
Amalie Arena—where the Tampa Bay Lightning play-- seats 19-
thousand people.
The number of citizens called for jury each year in Hillsborough County 
would fill the arena 8 ½ times.
As our population in Hillsborough County grows, so does the number 
of criminal and civil trials.
You are the people who will help resolve some of these cases.
We realize serving as a juror may cause some of you an 
inconvenience-- but without you, justice in our free society wouldn’t 
work.
Please know our Clerk of Court jury team is here to help ensure your 
time with us is as pleasant as possible.
Your parking validation slip will allow you to park for free in the City of 
Tampa or Fort Brooke Parking garages.
Your parking garage ticket should have been scanned and validated 
when you arrived at Jury Services. 
If you have any questions, please see a jury team member at the front 
counter.
If you parked in a metered spot. you will be allowed to step away in 
order to move to one of the designated parking garages to receive free 
parking for today.
If you are parked in a metered, handicap space and you have a 
hangtag, the first four hours are free. After four hours, you will need to 
move to another parking space in order to receive four more free 
hours.
If there is an emergency in the building, you will evacuate to East Street 
which is next to the courthouse annex and just before the parking 
garage located at 900 Twiggs Street.
Here’s some more helpful info:
You’ll find bathrooms across from our front counter and also by the 
elevators outside of the jury auditorium.
There is no smoking in the courthouse-- this includes electronic 
cigarettes.
You can connect to free Wi-Fi by selecting “Publicnet.” You don’t need 
a password.
Charging stations are available for use throughout the auditorium.
Vending Machines are available outside of the auditorium next to the 
cafeteria.
Food and drinks are allowed in the auditorium.
Our partner, the Hillsborough County Public Library System, offers 
Hoopla Digital to anyone without a library card in our service area.
Visit hoopladigital.com or download the hoopla digital app to your 
mobile device and register in three easy steps.
The jury team can assist you if you have any questions.
We welcome your feedback on this process so we can continually 
improve.
That’s why we offer a survey so you can tell us “How we are doing?”
Banners at the auditorium entrance… have a QR code you can scan 
with your phone… to give us your feedback.
Many of you have cell phones, electronic devices,
and laptops with you today.
You CAN use your devices while you’re waiting in this auditorium but in 
the courtroom, you CANNOT use your devices.
If you are selected, you must not use any device to search the internet 
or to find out anything related to any cases in the courthouse.
Between now and when the judge discharges you from jury duty, you 
MUST NOT provide or receive any information about your jury service 
to ANYONE.
This includes friends, co-workers and family members.
Your jury service could be one day-- or the length of a trial.
You may tell people you’ve been picked as a juror and how long the 
case may take.
However, you must not give any information about the case itself or the 
people involved in the case.
You must also warn people not to talk to you or write to you about your 
service or the case.
This includes face-to-face or electronic communication.
I want to highlight,
you MUST NOT use electronic devices or computers to communicate 
about a case, including tweeting,
texting,
blogging,
e-mailing,
or posting information on a website or in a chat room,
or any other means at all.
Do not send or accept any messages,
including e-mail or texts about your jury service.
You must not disclose your thoughts about your jury service or ask for 
advice on how to decide the case.
The judge and lawyers may ask you questions about your opinions,
experience, or even your family.
If you are uncomfortable, please let the judge know and the matter can 
be taken-up privately with the judge.
After you are called to the courtroom,
the judge will give you specific instructions about these matters.
The judge will tell you when you are released from these instructions.
All of us are depending on you to follow these rules, so that there will 
be a fair and lawful resolution of every case.
• Once a jury of 6-to-12 are selected, they will be sworn in.
• If you are selected to serve as a juror for a trial, you will be notified by 
the assigned judge regarding the anticipated length of the trial.
•At the end of your service, you will receive a service verification letter.
• Jurors are entitled to compensation for their service, either from your 
employer or the Clerk of Court.
Please speak with your employer if you aren't sure about their policy.
• If an emergency arises that prevents you from serving, notify a jury 
team member immediately and we will contact the judge for further 
instructions.
• At this time, you should only have the top slip of your jury summons.
If you have the entire summons, please let us know so that we can 
check you in.
Soon, you’ll be brought into the courtroom to begin your very important 
role in this process.
The right to be judged by a jury of ones’ peers is a cornerstone of our 
justice system.
After you’ve completed your jury service, I hope you will reflect on it as 
being a positive contribution to our system of justice.
I also hope you’ll describe your service to friends, family and coworkers in a favorable light.
It is important when these other people are summoned that they come 
forward,
as you have, and provide jury service with a positive attitude.
Again, let us know if you have any questions throughout the day.
We are here to help you.
Also, please keep in mind, my office offers 24/7 online services at 
hillsclerk.com.
As your Clerk of Court and Comptroller, I, Cindy Stuart, thank you 
again for serving.

Administrative Order S-2021-071-S [external court website link], effective November 15, 2021, establishes the following health and safety protocols for jurors and those attending in person hearing proceedings:

Face masks: The wearing of face mask is no longer required in any courthouse facility. Any person may voluntarily wear a face mask in any area of a courthouse facility.

Clear face masks for witnesses and jurors: If a witness or a juror chooses to wear a face mask, the presiding judge may require that the witness or juror wear a clear face mask.  If the presiding judge requires that a witness or juror wear a clear face mask based on the witness's or juror's choice to wear a face mask, a clear face mask will be provided to the witness or juror.

Participant May Request Phsical Distance: Any participant may request to be physically distanced during an in-person court proceeding. The presiding judge will address such requests as appropriate under the circumstances at the time of the request.

1. Read your summons carefully. The date, time and place to report are printed on it, along with your juror number. If your name or address is incorrect on the summons, cross it out and write-in the correct information.
2. Contact our office the night before your jury service date AND the day of your jury service, and have your summons in hand showing your juror number. You can either call (813) 276-8100 x4747 (Press 1) or visit www.hillsclerk.com/jury to see if you still need to report. If the telephone recording is not in operation, please call the emergency number (813) 272-5300.

Business casual attire is considered appropriate for men and women.  No shorts or tank tops.  Courtrooms are air-conditioned, so you may want to bring a sweater or light jacket.

There is free parking for jurors at the following locations:

• City of Tampa Parking Garage, located at 901 E. Twiggs Street [external Google Map link]
• Fort Brooke Parking Garage, located at 107 N. Franklin Street [external Google Map link], with the entrance on Whiting Street.

Both garages can only accommodate vehicles that do not exceed a height of 6 feet 7 inches.

To receive free parking at the garages listed above, you must bring your parking receipt for validation with you when you report. This is your responsibility. Any juror parking at other facilities will not be reimbursed.

NOTE: City of Tampa Parking facilities cannot accommodate motorcycles and scooters. If you ride a motorcycle or scooter en route to perform jury service, you will be responsible for parking at other locations without reimbursement. Click here [external 3rd party link] for HARTLINE bus schedules or call HARTLINE (813-254-4278).

Review the front of your summons for information on exemptions, postponements or mandatory disqualification.  If appropriate, please fill out A, B, or C and send to: Jury Services, PO Box 3388, Tampa, FL  33601-3388, fax to (813) 272-5568 or email. A Jury Services Representative will notify you only if your request is being denied. If you are not contacted, your request is being granted. A new jury summons will be issued for a later date on all postponements.

Exemptions, Postponements and/or Disqualifications

A. Exemption/Postponement

Expectant Mother

Parent not employed full-time, who has custody of a child under 6

Full time law enforcement officer or law enforcement investigative personnel

Person responsible for care of another person who is incapable of caring for himself/herself

Person 70 years of age or older

Other – Specify

B. Request for Postponement – Please provide explanation

C. Mandatory – Disqualified

Convicted felon, civil rights not restored

Under prosecution for any crime

No longer residing in Hillsborough County

Not a U.S. Citizen

Clerk of Circuit Court or Judge

Governor, Lt. Governor or Cabinet Officer

 

Call Jury Services at (813) 276-8100 x 4747. Give your name and date of birth, and a clerk will provide you with all the information you need to report to jury duty. When you arrive for jury duty, inform the clerk that you have lost your summons, and they will print you a duplicate copy.

Your service may be for the report date only, from the report date through sometime that week, or, in rare circumstances, from the report date through several weeks. Plan on the entire day for jury service, as there is not a specific time of day that the courts conclude. Make arrangements with family, friends, and/or your employer with regard to this potential time frame.

Pursuant to Section 40.24, Florida Statutes, jurors who are regularly employed and who continue to receive regular wages while serving as a juror are not entitled to receive compensation for the first 3 days of juror service.  Jurors who are not regularly employed or who do not continue to receive regular wages while serving as a juror are entitled to receive $15 per day for the first 3 days of juror service.  All jurors who serve more than 3 days will be paid $30 per day for the fourth day of service and each day thereafter, regardless of the employment status.

All persons entering the courthouse will be subject to security screening for weapons and other items which may not be brought into the courthouse. Click here for a list of banned items. Cell phones or other electronic devices should be turned off when you are in the courtroom.

Jurors may bring their laptops and tablets to jury duty and use them in the Jury Auditorium while waiting to be selected for a court trial. We provide free wi-fi for our jurors and mobile device charging stations throughout the auditorium for this purpose. However, once you get selected to serve on a jury trial inside a courtroom, all of those devices must be turned off and put away as they are not allowed to be used while you are in the courtroom.

If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in jury service, please contact the ADA Coordinator for the Hillsborough County Courthouse, 800 E Twiggs St, Room 604, Tampa, FL  33602, (813) 272-5894, at least 7 days before your scheduled jury duty, or immediately upon receiving your jury service notification.  If you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

Breastfeeding jurors can use a lactation room at the courthouse. Visit the Information Booth located on the sixth floor of the Edgecomb Courthouse or the second floor of the Courthouse Annex in order to gain entry.

Mail: P.O. Box 3388, Tampa, FL 33601-3388

Email: Contact us

Phone: (813) 276-8100, ext. 4747

In person: Downtown Tampa