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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem T04 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COUNTY of MONROE Mayor Michelle Lincoln,District z The Florida. Keys Mayor Pro Tem David Rice,District 4 p Craig Cates,District I James K. Scholl,District 3 - Holly Merrill Rascbein,District 5 Regular Meeting June 10, 2026 Agenda Item Number: T4 26-32187 BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: County Attorney TIME APPROXIMATE: n/a STAFF CONTACT: Bob Shillinger AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Continued discussion, direction, and public input on the 16th Judicial Circuit's efforts to update the boundaries of the three jury districts in the County and the Board's role in that process. ITEM BACKGROUND: This is a continuation of the discussion that started at the May 20th meeting in Key West and will conclude with a public hearing at the July 15th meeting in Marathon. Monroe County is currently divided into three jury districts,per 16th Circuit Local Rule Number 4. The Lower Keys Jury District consists of voting precinct numbers 1 through 17, which extends from the City of Key West to the west end of the Spanish Harbor Bridge at MM 33. The Middle Keys Jury District consists of precincts 18 through 24, which begins at the west end of the Spanish Harbor Bridge (MM 33 and extending to Snake Creek, at approximately MM 85 1/2 in Islamorada. The Upper Keys Jury District consists of precincts 25 to 33,beginning at the west end of Plantation Key and extends up to Ocean Reef as well as mainland Monroe. Florida law requires that each jury district shall have at least 6,000 registered voters. F.S. 40.015(2). That same statute requires the BOCC and the Chief Judge of the Circuit to approve revisions to jury district boundaries. The Court Administrator and the County Attorney have coordinated the presentation of this proposal to the BOCC and the Chief Judge. Juror pools are compiled from residents possessing valid Florida driver's licenses and identification cards, per. F.S. 40.01 and 40.011. Because prospective jurors are summons based upon their zip code and residency within the established jury districts,periodic review and adjustment of district boundaries helps to ensure more reasonable travel requirements and improved public accessibility to a courthouse for jury service. While all three current jury districts meet the statutory minimum threshold of 6,000 registered voters, it is recommended that the current district boundaries be updated to better align jury service locations with county residents' geographic proximity to the three courthouses. Specifically,the proposal would move residents of precinct 16 and 17, which include Big Pine and No Name Key, from the Lower Keys Jury District to the Middle Keys Jury District, and move residents of precinct 24, which includes Craig Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, and Windley Key from the Middle Keys Jury District to the Upper Keys Jury District. Under the current district boundaries, residents living as far north as MM87 must travel more than 36 miles south to fulfill their jury service obligations in Marathon, despite some residents living less than one mile south of the Plantation Key Courthouse. Under the proposed revisions, residents from Craig Key (MM 72) northward will report to jury duty at the Plantation Key Courthouse. For Craig Key residents,their drive will now be approximately 16 miles north to the Plantation Key Courthouse instead of approximately 21 miles south to the Marathon Courthouse. Similarly,residents in Big Pine will have to drive roughly 19 miles north to the Marathon Courthouse instead of 30 miles south to the Freeman Justice Center in Key West. To provide opportunities for public input throughout all three geographic areas of the County, staff scheduled a first discussion for the May 20th meeting in Key West. In addition to this discussion, the intent is to schedule a public hearing for the July 15, 2026 meeting in Marathon to consider a resolution in support of the updated distract boundaries. If approved by the BOCC, the Chief Judge will enter a new administrative order and rescind the current Local Rule with the Florida Supreme Court. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: The Board first heard this item on 5/20/26 in Key West. INSURANCE REQUIRED: No CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: n/a STAFF RECOMMENDATION: DOCUMENTATION: FINANCIAL IMPACT: Effective Date: TBD Expiration Date: n/a Total Dollar Value of Contract: n/a Total Cost to County: n/a Current Year Portion: n/a Budgeted: n/a Source of Funds: n/a CPI: n/a Indirect Costs: n/a Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts: n/a Revenue Producing: n/a If yes, amount: Grant: County Match: -mmf�w ru romm .v�muuuuuuuuuuYrvtauaua5v rnwxaaxw4k1—wwwW4G4r. 111d011ffROfRfflldlfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfd i0i0i0 mium uN Ou imNr'... IfRfRf"f(dlifrif fR """"o ruurm e eeertd, APPROVEDTHE EMS C "Wr OF FLORIDA IN THE, CIRCUITCOVITOF THE 16 hTH094A JUDICIAL (.`JRCUTT OF TFIESTATE OF C K SUPREME COURT FLORIDA N AND ,1 OF 'OL1 l 1,, V N SPECIAL JURYDISTRICTS J,,,0CAL RULE NUMBER 4FOR, MON,RC),E. COUNTY AMENDED WTIEREAS, Section 40„01 (l ), Florida Stzlutes, provides that iu any cL)upty having a population exceeding 50,000 according t fhe lB t preceding decennial rr tr,,-; and ane, or rrirrr�. lta titiuwrur 1rr B1116ilimi, to, the County Spat at ^'Fricb the crW+urrt:y, r circuit court sitsand holds jury tri l a, [I'm Chief Jud,, r , willr thp a.pprovgl of a ma orrt of the. Mourve County Board of C .t. . Commissioners, is autbot,-ized to, rat jury district for eacb ou rtl ouq lr r r c�r�w t"jom whicb jury' H tz Ski all be ltd ire. the Mr nner presenrtl,y provided by lur)w and. 01 WHEREAS, ubsection ), thereof, provides drat, a8ch jury' di trl 't hall MrrrAurd al, 'least ,000 registered voters, and WHL'KEAS, the officiAl '- , Bureau of Censtjs d t , indicates that of 000, Monroe County has a population of 79,589; and WH"EkEAS, the up rvi r of EItctiuns indicated that as of' August 22, t tt t Monrrr County lass a r r j ter Voj4 rr popul t, on of 50,933 with t.la districts z.q pr pos d liar tt coiisisting, of the following apportionment.' Lower- Juror D,isl ri t (Precinct N-urnbers I; through 1, 7) .— 26,725 registe'red voters, Middle lur r° District (Precinct Numbers 19 ti ri'mgh - 11 ,22 regi,stered voters; and Upper "ltm-.)r Dia ri t (Precinct Numbers r through 3)17,979 iogistefed voters; and url- ERUAS, the purpose f these geagraphicaJ divisions to r duce ub trrrrrial. travel time for, jurors arrrll to increase the surnmoning yield, e rr, r phica] divisJons reflect a true cro , - ect trtu of Monroe aunt , th no systernatic exclusion, of ariy group in the juror seleetion processand' do not othemi5 60l to equal protection r Trireme tsw The Covrl' will, T-ev thi' local lole Tarr Orr urrrrorr l basis per Sp,e ccr ra. State, 545 So,, 2d, 1352 (Flu 1989); and Att . THE B .HAU, Clerk T Cote Florii�y u. rp, nr - WIIEREAS, purs-vant Lo Secticon 40,01 5(l), Florida SA&tv,trS,, the Chief Judge and th e M, onroe Ccry urit,y Board ofCounty Cornrui mici ners sougitt to avol.0 c)f any copj�izatfle group, aiid W HER FAS, the M.Onr0e, CoUntY Board oaf C011111Y ('Ornmissiori.eTs at a reguliarly qcbeduled meeting on MaY '15, 2002 u�nartirnoasly appl-oved tbe r-reat-ion of Jur'), dioricts, consistorit, with (he o,-rrol; and, cups of 11hiq Role, NOW, THEREFORE, pjrsoaro to qie awtiority ci,)r1ferred by Rule 2,050(1b), Fla,R-Jtid-Admin is ORDERED thal: 1 There is borcby created, Jbi-e-e (,I�) ;eps, ate, jury dis,tricts, une for" eaCh CO-UrthOUSe ID .an,60n, from which jury tist& shall be selected, in the roa,rtne'r piresviitly provided by laNy und 10,0.0 rifle, Districts shall c0nforrn, �to the following gaidelines, Lqy,�� Jtvry, Di�.JJ.pt - includitig the Cify of, Key. West 10, . .. ........t1te west erid of Spanilsh Harbor BoIdge (Precinct NLi-i�ribeis, I through, 17); and b, J M djLe K e Y jg�-_Q,district strict - bvgnning at the Nvest end of the S'panish Harbor Bridge to, and iimfufflng, Islamorada (Precinct, Ntirtiberq 1$ through 24)1 and rs; 11 1 r J u ry D i stri ct, - b eg i nni ng all i h e., west area of Plantation Key 'to and includ.ing, Ocean Reef and that por-tiun Df Monroe County, situaLed uptm the Mainland Df FWrida (14ccinct 'Numbers 25 tIrro,tigh 33) 2, AJA civil. jury trkils and crimina,'l jury trials, irmiuding capital c sses. will, uf�Lhze vexiiies drawn, from special joty dir0rid, Nvhere the cast- is to bo, tried, onless modified by a specific order of the Chief Judge fcrr clear and con-vincing 31, The mann(rr of selection, shiall, tic controlle--d by Cb pter 40, Florida St at ij;t e s and Local Rule Number 5, In re: Jur) `eleC11071. , 4 This Pule shall ha,ve no application to circuit grand jurar', Or matewide grand jurors sel,Octed pursuant to Sections 905,,01 and' 9105.37, Statutes, respectiv0y" 13), virtue of Rule 2.050(o), FI,a.R,,Jud,A&rnjn,, this; Local, Rule sfiall be, submi aed (,D the, Stj preme Court for approval and shall become effective upon the cLpproval date. DONE and SIGNED Chambers at Key' West, Mouroc Coonty, Tlarida, OIJ 6, day of 02,20 .-=R, chard 'G. Payne V Chief' Judge APPROVED by the Supreme Court of Florida, on 'the day of" 5/4/26, 11:32 AM Statutes&Constitution :View Statutes: Online Sunshine Select Year: 2025 v Go The 2025 Florida Statutes Title V Chapter 40 View Entire Chapter JUDICIAL BRANCH JURIES; PAYMENT OF JURORS AND DUE PROCESS COSTS 40.015 Jury districts; counties exceeding 50,000.— (1) In any county having a population exceeding 50,000 according to the last preceding decennial census and one or more locations in addition to the county seat at which the county or circuit court sits and holds trials, the chief judge, with the approval of a majority of the county commissioners, is authorized to create a jury district for each courthouse location, from which jury lists shall be selected in the manner presently provided by law. The creation of a jury district under this section may be initiated by either the chief judge or a majority of the county commissioners. (2) In determining the boundaries of a jury district to serve the court located within the district, the chief judge or the board of county commissioners shall seek to avoid any exclusion of any cognizable group. Each jury district shall include at least 6,000 registered voters. History.—s. 1, ch. 76-114; s. 2, ch. 79-235; s. 1, ch. 98-98. Copyright© 1995-2026 The Florida Legislature • Privacy Statement • Contact Us https://www.Ieg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&U RL=0000-0099/0040/Sections/0040.015.htmI 1/1 COUNTY Nr11�,Y �� ����� m� � ^ BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Mayor Michelle Lincoln,District 2 The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tem David Rice,District 4 Craig Cates,District 1 James K.Scholl,District 3 Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5 Regular Meeting June 10, 2026 Agenda Item Number: {{section.number}}{{item.number}} 26-32187 BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: County Attorney TIME APPROXIMATE: n/a STAFF CONTACT: Bob Shillinger AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Continued discussion, direction, and public input on the 16th Judicial Circuit's efforts to update the boundaries of the three jury districts in the County and the Board's role in that process. ITEM BACKGROUND: This is a continuation of the discussion that started at the May 201' meeting in Key West and will conclude with a public hearing at the July 151' meeting in Marathon. Monroe County is currently divided into three jury districts,per 16th Circuit Local Rule Number 4. The Lower Keys Jury District consists of voting precinct numbers 1 through 17, which extends from the City of Key West to the west end of the Spanish Harbor Bridge at MM 33. The Middle Keys Jury District consists of precincts 18 through 24, which begins at the west end of the Spanish Harbor Bridge (MM 33 and extending to Snake Creek, at approximately MM 85 1/2 in Islamorada. The Upper Keys Jury District consists of precincts 25 to 33, beginning at the west end of Plantation Key and extends up to Ocean Reef as well as mainland Monroe. Florida law requires that each jury district shall have at least 6,000 registered voters. F.S. 40.015(2). That same statute requires the BOCC and the Chief Judge of the Circuit to approve revisions to jury district boundaries. The Court Administrator and the County Attorney have coordinated the presentation of this proposal to the BOCC and the Chief Judge. Juror pools are compiled from residents possessing valid Florida driver's licenses and identification cards, per. F.S. 40.01 and 40.011. Because prospective jurors are summons based upon their zip code and residency within the established jury districts,periodic review and adjustment of district boundaries helps to ensure more reasonable travel requirements and improved public accessibility to a courthouse for jury service. While all three current jury districts meet the statutory minimum threshold of 6,000 registered voters, it is recommended that the current district boundaries be updated to better align jury service locations with county residents' geographic proximity to the three courthouses. Specifically,the proposal would move residents of precinct 16 and 17, which include Big Pine and No Name Key, from the Lower Keys Jury District to the Middle Keys Jury District, and move residents of precinct 24,which includes Craig Key, Lower Matecumbe Key,Upper Matecumbe Key, and Windley Key from the Middle Keys Jury District to the Upper Keys Jury District. Under the current district boundaries, residents living as far north as MM87 must travel more than 36 miles south to fulfill their jury service obligations in Marathon, despite some residents living less than one mile south of the Plantation Key Courthouse. Under the proposed revisions, residents from Craig Key (MM 72) northward will report to jury duty at the Plantation Key Courthouse. For Craig Key residents,their drive will now be approximately 16 miles north to the Plantation Key Courthouse instead of approximately 21 miles south to the Marathon Courthouse. Similarly,residents in Big Pine will have to drive roughly 19 miles north to the Marathon Courthouse instead of 30 miles south to the Freeman Justice Center in Key West. To provide opportunities for public input throughout all three geographic areas of the County, staff scheduled a first discussion for the May 20th meeting in Key West. In addition to this discussion, the intent is to schedule a public hearing for the July 15, 2026 meeting in Marathon to consider a resolution in support of the updated distract boundaries. If approved by the BOCC, the Chief Judge will enter a new administrative order and rescind the current Local Rule with the Florida Supreme Court. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: The Board first heard this item on 5/20/26 in Key West. INSURANCE REQUIRED: No CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: n/a STAFF RECOMMENDATION: DOCUMENTATION: FINANCIAL IMPACT: Effective Date: TBD Expiration Date: n/a Total Dollar Value of Contract: n/a Total Cost to County: n/a Current Year Portion: n/a Budgeted: n/a Source of Funds: n/a CPI: n/a Indirect Costs: n/a Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts: n/a Revenue Producing: n/a If yes, amount: Grant: County Match: