MONROE COUNTY APPROVES UPDATED JURY DISTRICTS TO REDUCE TRAVEL FOR RESIDENTS

MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved revisions to the county's three jury districts on Wednesday to better align jury service locations with where residents live, making travel more convenient for many prospective jurors while maintaining compliance with Florida law.

Monroe County is divided into three jury districts, Lower Keys, Middle Keys, and Upper Keys, served by the Freeman Justice Center in Key West, the Marathon Courthouse, and the Plantation Key Courthouse, respectively. State law requires each jury district to include at least 6,000 registered voters and allows counties with multiple courthouse locations to establish separate jury districts.

The approved revisions shift:

• Big Pine Key and No Name Key (Precincts 16 and 17) from the Lower Keys Jury District to the Middle Keys Jury District, allowing residents to report for jury service in Marathon instead of Key West.
• Craig Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, and Windley Key (Precinct 24) from the Middle Keys Jury District to the Upper Keys Jury District, allowing residents to report to the Plantation Key Courthouse instead of Marathon.

The change will now allow many Big Pine Key residents to travel approximately 19 miles to the Marathon Courthouse rather than about 30 miles to Key West. Similarly, residents from Craig Key northward will report to the Plantation Key Courthouse, significantly shortening their drive for jury service.

"These updates simply make more sense for our residents," said Monroe County Attorney Bob Shillinger. "By adjusting the jury district boundaries to better match where people live, we're reducing travel time and making jury service more convenient while continuing to meet all legal requirements."

The board's resolution supports updated jury districts for each courthouse location. Under the approved resolution:

• Lower Keys Jury District: ZIP codes 33040, 33041, 33042, and 33045 report to the Freeman Justice Center in Key West.
• Middle Keys Jury District: ZIP codes 33001, 33050, 33051, 33052, and 33043 report to the Marathon Courthouse.
• Upper Keys Jury District: ZIP codes 33037, 33070, and 33036 report to the Plantation Key Courthouse.

The revised jury districts will take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2027, following issuance of a new administrative order by the Chief Judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit.

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