The Broward County courts have begun to impose real consequences on those who ignore jury duty summonses, a practice that for years went without effective sanctions, according to a report by Local 10.
Judge Keathan B. Frink, an administrative judge in the civil division of the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida, presided over the first hearing of its kind in nearly 15 years at the beginning of October, specifically convened to summon individuals who had not fulfilled their jury duty.
The numbers from that hearing illustrate the problem: out of the 100 people notified, only 27 responded and barely four appeared in person before the judge.
Frink assigned new appearance dates to three of the attendees and issued a fine to the fourth. Those who did not respond to the notification can expect to be sought by the Broward Sheriff's Office.
“Juries need to show up. This has been an ongoing issue: between 30% and 47% of those summoned actually appear and serve as jurors,” Frink stated to reporter Janine Stanwood from Local 10.
The judge explained that the low attendance creates a chain reaction: civil cases are delayed because criminal cases take priority, and the few jurors who do show up bear greater responsibility and are excused less frequently when they cite difficulties.
"It makes it extremely difficult for judges and the parties for their cases to be heard," she noted.
The policy change has a formal precedent: the 17th Circuit published a notice on May 29, 2026, announcing that starting in June, absentees would receive an order to explain their absence or reschedule their service within 60 days. Failure to do either could result in a fine of up to $100, being held in contempt of court, or both.
A juror interviewed by Local 10, who requested to remain anonymous, described a nearly empty room and commented that other summoned individuals openly discussed pretending they had not received the summons: "People were talking about using that excuse: that the postal service was the reason for saying they never received the summons."
Who is obligated and what to do upon receiving the summons
For the residents of Broward, especially Cuban Americans, it is important to be clear about several things.
Only U.S. citizens residing in the county who are over 18 years old are required to serve as jurors. Permanent residents are not eligible, but must respond to the summons by marking their status on the form, not ignoring it.
The language is not an automatic excuse either. The Broward Clerk Jury Services portal clearly states: "The ability to understand English is determined by the judge during service. You must appear."
Official summonses are sent only by postal mail. The court never contacts individuals by phone, email, or text message to demand payments. In July 2026, the 17th Circuit, the Clerk, and the Sheriff's Office issued a joint alert about scams in which imposters pose as judges or agents to collect money for alleged absences: those calls are fraud.
Anyone receiving a legitimate summons must register on the official portal and call 954-831-8471 after 5:00 p.m. on the preceding business day to confirm whether they need to appear. The standard system in Broward is "one day/one trial": if you are not selected by the end of the first day, you generally do not need to return.
"We would love to have jurors who show up and want to be here," concluded Judge Frink, who emphasized that he prefers people to attend out of civic duty rather than fear of the consequences.
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