Did you know that jury service wasn’t mandatory for women until 1967?

In 1949, women were allowed to volunteer for jury service; however, only a few registered and the juries remained largely male. Back then, the idea of women sitting on juries was subject to ridicule because women were believed to be too sympathetic and emotional.

In 1961, this issue was raised when Gwendolyn Hoyt appealed to the Florida Supreme Court after she was convicted of murdering her husband by an all-male jury but the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Florida’s voluntary jury law for women (Hoyt v. Florida).

Learn more about the 100-year history of Collier County’s Courthouse on CollierClerk.com.

– Crystal K. Kinzel, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller