GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – For the first time ever, the Clay County Courthouse selected a jury earlier this month after holding its jury duty qualification process exclusively online.
Of the 400 residents tapped for jury duty, 342 showed up March 5 on Zoom, where the court narrowed its pool of prospective jurors down to 100. Hours later, the process resulted in a confirmed jury pool of 36 residents, and a jury of six jurors and one alternate was selected March 8.
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“As part of our state’s Safe Steps initiative, precautions still include regular courthouse cleaning, social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and more,” Clay County Clerk of Court Tara S. Green said. “We are so pleased to work with our judiciary, county staff and courthouse law enforcement officials to get in-person jury trials up and running safely again for our citizens.”
Even though that case was settled, negating the need for a trial, the Clerk of Court’s Office said the process served as an “excellent” test drive should the county need to seat a jury remotely.
The court followed the same process last Friday to field a pool of 35 prospective jurors, seven of whom will be selected for a felony jury trial scheduled for Thursday afternoon. If there is no plea deal or delay in that case, it would be the first in-person jury trial held in Clay County in a year.
In Florida, court cases have been delayed at times in response to the coronavirus pandemic as officials take steps to make sure the virus does not spread during court proceedings.