Gators’ Jury Responsibilities

John V. Lombardi, President University of Florida

John T. McGovern, President
University of Florida Student Body

Dear Fellow Gators:

As members of the University of Florida community, we all have important family, civic, academic and extracurricular obligations that must be balanced and fulfilled daily. Among those are our obligations as citizens of the City of Gainesville and Alachua County. One of these obligations is to act as a juror if called upon by the court system.

While acting as a juror may be inconvenient at times, the American judicial system is fundamental to our freedom and democracy and it can only function with the active participation of its citizens. Class attendance or other University of Florida activities are not legitimate excuses from complying with one’s obligation to participate as a juror. To the contrary, all students, faculty and staff should treat as a priority fulfilling this responsibility as enthusiastically and professionally as possible.

Jury service is an excused absence from all activities, classes or otherwise, at the University of Florida. If you incur a problem with someone at the university not excusing you from classes or any other university obligation that conflicts with your obligation in acting as a juror, please contact the University Ombudsman’s office at 392-1308.

As we enter the new year, each one of us as Gators and as good citizens need to conduct ourselves and direct our efforts at all times to making the university and this community the very best it can be. We are privileged to have all of the freedoms and safeguards we receive as citizens and must do all that we can to protect and ensure the preservation of those freedoms for future generations.

As always, Go Gators!