For jury duty a few quick tips. Park in lot 18, take your ticket in with you and they will validate. Use the "quiet room" no one was I there making it very quiet. Make sure to take your jury summons, makes the process so much easier. Take the stairs at dismissal, elevators take a while. Bring phone charger and a jacket/sweatshirt if you get cold easily. Eat ahead of time or bring your own food, the snack bar line gets very long and can take a while. read more

That special time when you are selected to do your duty as a citizen. Wifi is is spotty. The do have a cafeteria with decent food and so so coffee. Lol While you wait they have movies to keep you entertained and areas to use as a work station. So be prepared to sit and wait. read more

Free parking at the Juror Parking Lot. There were jurors wearing jeans, t-shirts and sneakers dispite the request for business attire . A/C in Jury Waiting Room 700 not that cold since it's full of people. The Snack Bar has vegan empanadas. Riverwalk is right down the street with places to grab a quick bite as well as a Publix. read more

I think I'm in the minority when I say that I actually enjoy jury duty, but honestly I really do. I've been summoned twice now and never have been selected ultimately as a juror. Now this building is a bit old. Just walking into one of the courtrooms will show you that. Bring a sweater, everyone, as it resembles the North Pole. The judge I had said they've been working on getting that particular courtroom to have air conditioner that resembled something normal, but eh, it's been a work in progress. Given that this is downtown, parking can be a bit of a pain, but if you're coming for jury duty, there's great news for you. With your jury duty ticket, you can get free parking. They happily validate it. Come early though, so you can pass through security and fill out all the necessary paperwork. The jury duty room where they have you wait has a quiet room and an adjacent cafeteria, so you won't go hungry. You may, however, not digest fine cuisine. This area is sparse with food options, and aside from the cafeteria on the seventh floor, there's one on the first. Prepare yourself for a day of waiting, of movies, and if you're fortunate, of questioning. Once all that's done, you either get selected or you don't. If selected, the judge gives you further information. If not selected, the bailiff gives you a participation certificate and you're off the hook for an entire year, meaning you can't get summoned for a year. Overall, the entire process was painless and I'm still waiting to live out the dream of partaking in a jury. Until next time. read more

The Richard Gerstein Justice Building has improved over time. It used to be a nightmare to come here but now they have made some changes. They have a better ticketing system which makes waiting in line more efficient in both the Clerks of Court area and also the area where you pay your fines. Court Cases also run on time so if you have a court date, show up on time because I've seen some annoyed judges with tardy arrivals. The security is tight here so don't bring anything you're not supposed to. They have medal detectors in both entrances. The line on the south side entrance is usually longer than the north side entrance that not many people use. The building is out dated but it has an old school feel to it, as long as the elevator works, we are good. Parking is either street metered or pay at the private lot a flat fee, think it's $10 all day. read more

Welp..I got sentenced to jury duty! I had been fortunate to not have to spend a day since about the early 00's. At that time, we rendered a guilty verdict and I remember the bailiffs walking in with long guns and we escorted out before the sentence was read. So anyway, back to this day. To avoid parking and public transit issues, I took one of the car sharing services. You first get nuked at the security checkpoint, then ride a vintage elevator (which have the old school touch buttons) and sit in a waiting room with chairs that make a certain budget airline named with an "S" seem like extreme first class. You then watch the instruction video (basic junior high civics.) The men's bathroom didn't have a working soap dispenser. As far as culinary facilities in the jury room, they have a reasonably priced cafeteria with non gourmet food. I had a decent quesadilla with sour cream but no pico de gallo. The cafe does sell cell phone chargers as well. Courtroom and hallway decor is vintage, with acoustic drop ceilings and vinyl composite floor tile. Once you're picked for a panel, the judge, prosecutor and defense attorneys give you an overview and ask questions peripherally pertaining to the case, to see if you have any biases that may affect the case. Thankfully, i wasnt chosen. The only reason they get an extra star is because the judge and bailiff team who read the intro were Judge Newman and Bailiff Nathan of Miami Dolphins' vintage. read more

This building needed an overhaul 20 years ago. In fact, the last time I was here was over ten years ago and the stupid middle elevator is still broken! Lol We should have the crooked politicians fork the bill or just take it from the millions of dollars the city has stolen from us with the red light cameras. read more

I went a whole hour looking for parking all because of a short blonde lady that told me I couldn't park in the free juror parking WHEN I WAS A JUROR BTW. I took 8 tolls and went in full circles, on and off highways just to go back to the same place and let myself in and rub the stupid badge in her face so she can shut the hell up. Honestly very disappointing and she should do her job better instead of sending jurors to other parking lots that have to be paid for when there IS space for them to park. Before she sent me to a whole other parking lot, I saw a car pull out of the free juror parking lot that I should've taken right after him. It's ridiculous the amount of gas I wasted because of her negligence. read more

It's Jury Duty people! It's a necessary inconvenience and we can handle it two ways. (1) Go prepared and have the day go by relatively easy, or (2) go with a hump of badness on you and have the shittiest day ever. This is my fourth or fifth time coming to this particular courthouse for JD and here's the take: Jury Duty gives you free parking. Take time to get there early and find it. It's right across the street from the Courthouse. I come down NE 12th Avenue and when you pass the hospital the Juror parking is on your left under the overpass. There are HUGE signs pointing you in the right direction. It's cold in the jury room. Mind numbing, nipply cold. I hate the cold and that's why I live in South Florida. Bring a sweater or cardigan. Wear long pants and sneakers with socks if you hate being cold. I had a long sleeve shirt, jeans and a big wooly cardigan and was still freezing. That kind of freezing when all you can think about is being freezing. Next time I am bringing a blanket. The complimentary coffee is nasty. The thought was there though. The staff are enthusiastic. Like "fuck off with your bubbly happiness at 8 a.m." happy. No, I will not repeat shit after you like I am on a cruise ship about to launch into the Macarena with people I know nothing about and have absolutely nothing in common with. Just let me take my oath and go back to concentrating on being absolutely freezing and making it through the day. I brought a book for a reason. The "Quiet Room" is the best discovery I've ever made there. It should be called the nap room...because basically that's what everyone did in there. No TV and no cell phones here. I woke myself up snorting a little contented snore today. That was surreal. Nobody noticed though, they were all asleep. There are power outlets in here too so you can charge your batteries, while you charge your battery. Power outlets. As we get more connected to our damned laptops and cellphones and the dependence on them to keep us in touch with everyone, the battle for the power outlets intensifies. There are plenty to go around here but DO charge your toys before you get here. You will be warned to not use the internet to google cases etc. I couldn't get WIFI on my laptop at all, but I think that was more a PEBCAK error than anything else. Finally, don't be that person doing squats in the middle of the jury room. You only look like a total twat. read more

I came here for jury duty. It's a clean building. The line to enter the juror waiting area is big with lots of seating & lots of small TV playing movies. There is also a "quiet corner" which is anything but quiet. That has a microwave, pay phones, long table and fridge & entrance to a small cafeteria. The place was full at 8am, I got called at 11am, roll call was made, only to be told its lunch time and back at 12:45... then told to go back to the same room from 8am. My group got called at 3pm... to be told that they had enough jurors inside & that we had a choice to go home. Didn't they know at 11 when they sent us to lunch that there was enough jurors?? Hopefully they will have this better organize. There are no wall plugs in any other area except the quiet room. read more

Been here a couple times for jury duty and the experience has always been a good one. Though I've never been selected, my day from morning to late afternoon (till about 4p) has always been a slow but speedy day (ha, if that's even possible). Before coming, make sure to prep yourself for a day of sitting in (just in case you're not called as a juror). Bring a laptop (or mobile device) with charger, headphones for music, a book to read, mini errands to catch up on (I've seen people organize their bills while waiting), and a nice sweater or hoodie is good too since it's a bit nipster for some people. When arriving, whether by train, auto, or walking, make sure to arrive early to find good parking space (if driving in) since parking is free. As for all other commuters, arriving early is good to avoid the slightly longer security lines downstairs when checking into the building. Once inside, enjoy the cafés, movies, or people interaction to begin your day of waiting. Every so often, a staff member will come by to announce your name/juror number to be the lucky pick for a case. If you're not picked, you can continue waiting until you're called or not. As the day ends, if you were picked, you will have instructions from your case as to what to do next. If you weren't picked, you will be given a certificate of attendance and be given $15 for attending (this however depends if you are not given something at your full-time work, if you are self-employed, or doing part-time). read more

If you MUST come here, follow these simple seven tips for a much happier, safe and healthier experience: 1. DO NOT park in the paid parking lots. If your appointment/court case happens to be in the morning you will find out that it will take you upwards of 45 minutes to exit the lot. Do yourself a huge favor and park at a meter outside. 2. The line out front (facing south) usually winds around the side of the courthouse at around 8:30am. Once again, do yourself a huge favor and walk to the north side of the courthouse. There you will find a much smaller line, if at all. Every attorney in the building knows this little secret and will enter/exit from there. 3. To avoid a long wait at the metal detector just inside, empty out your pockets/purse of loose change, metallic objects prior to getting out of your car. They make you remove your belt as well so keep that in mind, guys. Obviously, leave your firearms, grenades, IED's, tanks, samurai swords, aircraft, etc. etc. at home. 4. This place is probably the Holy Grail of every known disease/germ known to mankind. Please keep this fact in mind and carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket. If you don't believe me, ask the night time cleaning crew. Books have been written about the stuff they find after hours inside this esteemed institution where Miami-Dade brand justice is carried out on a daily basis. (Exaggeration emphasized) 5. The first floor cafeteria is a bit pricey but not bad food quality-wise. However, I would be cautious about consuming anything other than bottled water at any of the several hot dog carts located outside. If you do, you will be doing it at your own risk. 6. Avoid taking the elevators in this joint. (See Tip #4) These elevator cars are packed full of people with severe and contagious colds for several hours a day. There is NOTHING that the CDC in Atlanta has in their stockpile of weapons that can battle what must live and grow inside these elevators. Try taking the escalators instead. I know I sound like a complete germaphobe but I swear I'm not. I just know what I'm talking about in this case. 7. Lastly, pre-pack a can of Lysol in your car and spray the bottom of your shoes before entering back into your vehicle. Better yet, place your shoes in your trunk (if applicable) after spraying them. Bring sandals to drive home in. read more

I have been a prosecutor here for three years, and I will tell you that the everyday working of this courthouse, from the front door security to the judges chambers is amazing. I am often in awe of how things are acomplished in such a large building with so many courtrooms. I have practiced in a great number of court houses, and this is by far my favorite. The courtrooms on the 2nd and 4th floor are amazing. The judges, defense attys, and prosecutors are keep this place interesting in a positive way. read more

If you live in Miami-Dade County, this is the main location you might be called for Jury Duty. When you are called for jury duty, they give you a phone number on your jury notice that you call to see which day of the week you need to report. The information changes frequently 24 to 72 hours before your notice date, so you should check back the evening before your service date. Jury Duty at this location usually starts at 8 a.m. but they recommend you get arrive at 7:30 a.m. to clear security and take the elevator to the 7th floor, Room 700. Parking for Jury Duty is located under the 836 for $5. Do not park on the street or in the front lot used by the public and the lawyers, it's $15.00. You must show your jury notice to receive the discount. There is wi-fi, but the wi-fi user agreement states "Jurors are expressly prohibited from accessing the Internet, through this or any other service during the course of their jury service-before and after selection for jury duty." The lunch option are very limited: Au Bon Pan is located in the bottom floor and there are street vendors across the street. You can also walk several blocks to the cafeteria at Jackson Memorial. read more

Had to come here to perform my civic duties. Well I arrived super early because I wasn't aware of the location so i chilled in my car. It was so much easier to find then I thought. The directions are clear on your notice and there a big parking signs that say JUROR PARKING where you can park for free. Do not park in the parking lot directly across the building. You will have to pay for that with no refunds. Once you past the building on your left, make the first right turn and then first left turn. You can park in that parking lot. There is a gaurd there to give you a ticket. The bulding is old. People are nice, always saying thank you for being there. There was one younger looking lady there that was kind of snobby. I didn't pay attention to her, she ain't nobody. Anyways, it was boring, nasty, and you will see all kinds of interesting people. For the most part, they were nice. I watched a the blind side before i got called. Boo! My group ended up being dismissed and then we were released at 3:30. Be sure to bring things of entertainment and battery backup. You will be in there for a while. read more

Richard E Gerstein Justice Building - Courthouses Near Me - Miami, Florida

Merp. I usually like to come here just for the coffee and movies but .... Jury duty. Bad coffee. Like, reallllyyyyyy yucky. Good movies, continually being interrupted by some "calling jurors" nonsense. I do not know if I would recommend this as your regular theater read more

No one loves jury duty, so here are a few observations to make your duty less uncomfortable. First, come early. The traffic's not as bad, the parking lots are empty, and the line for courthouse security is much shorter. Use the old Mahi Shrine property parking lot along the river just off NW 11th St. It's free when you show the attendant your juror notice. When you get to room 700, find a seat with a table along the wall near an electrical outlet. You can bring a laptop and have an outlet for charging. If you are going to be there during lunch, DON'T go to the little cafe they have adjacent to the room. I had one of the WORST tuna melts in my entire life there. Better to bring something and eat in the room, unless you want to walk 3 blocks to Jackson Memorial Hospital's food court, which has chain restaurants. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, sometimes you have to stand in line for awhile. Above all, have patience and listen to the bailiff's instructions, it makes things go a lot quicker. Although I was ultimately excused, it took 11 hours to do so. For my visit, I would give a positive shout out to the bailiff, Deputy Rey Ruiz, and the judge, the Honorable Alberto Milian. Together, they ran a very efficient courtroom. read more

Parking is tough. Arrive early. Court Officer was rude and unfriendly, I was just a witness! It was the end of the day on a Friday, so maybe he had heard all the dumb excuses he could handle! read more

Richard E Gerstein Justice Building - Waiting for my turn for justice! - Courthouses Near Me - Miami, Florida

Jury Duty-- this is strictly based on facilities. I am not going to let the annoyances of civic process get in the way of this review. Alright I was dropped off for my jury duty but make sure to read the signs that explicitly state this is for juror parking ONLY. Make the mistake of parking anywhere else and you'll pay a lot! You'll make a line to go through the metal detectors before entering the building. They allow food and electronic but NO liquids. Leave the coffee, bottled water, energy drinks, etc at home. What do they have for food? They have an Au bon pain downstairs and on the same floor as the jurors waiting room they have a cafeteria. The cafeteria food seemed mediocre at best. I was VERY happy I brought my Publix sub with me and didnt spend money on that type of food. Its your call. Bathrooms were clean. They play movies on the TVs all day. As such, they have a quiet room for those of you that don't want to watch their movies (don't blame you.) There are outlets around the periphery of the jury waiting room. Make sure to grab a seat near one of those. The saving grace of the day was FREE WIFI. If you have trouble connecting to the wifi you can ask the staff at the front desk and they will help you. Do yourself a favor and brings those laptops and tablets so the day doesn't drag on that much. Enjoy jury duty! read more

...... the courthouse is so ghetto and dirty... I thought Los Angeles county courthouse was dirty but this takes the cake. Its makes the LA courthouse look spotless. I had to hold my sweater to my mouth and sanitized my hand every where i went. Only get food at Au bon pain, its the only sanitary looking restaurant there... Overall i hope my next jury service is at the other courthouse which i hear is much better. read more

Here for jury duty. One star because it was easy to find and free parking for jurors. But Miserable people. Not one kind person. Everyone had a bad attitude, bailiffs, officers, security agents, etc. Only nice people were the ones suffering along side me in the jury pool. read more

I'd always hated this place. I get called for jury duty like clockwork, every 1.5 to 2 years or so, and it's always at this place. It's never at the nice, historic courthouse in downtown Miami that handles all the civil trials and has a bunch of cool restaurants within walking distance. Nope, always the Gerstein criminal courthouse with its institutional 1960s-Communist architecture, where your best lunch options are 1) the Au Bon Pain on the first floor or 2) a rather crappy Subway near the University of Miami's medical campus that requires a walk of several unpleasant blocks adjacent to heavy traffic, under a blazing midday sun. My typical experience here was always one of arriving at 8AM, taking a crowded elevator with people who smell bad up to the 7th floor jury pool, getting packed in there like sardines with loudly-coughing people who sound like they are hacking up a pancreas, and trying to make whatever reading material I've brought last the whole day, because I never saw the inside of a courtroom. I was never called in my four prior visits. Upon hauling myself there yet again Monday, my attitude was similar. I didn't think I was going to be picked; I felt as if I had some kind of immunity. Yet, this time I didn't make it through two chapters of a book before my number was called. My heart sank as I regarded the people who made up this panel, as they looked like a bunch of assorted crazies, dimwits, morons, what have you. The jury selection process proved me correct. The prosecutor wasn't even a fifth of the way through her questioning when I started to get a sinking feeling that I was one of the few sane people there. I'm not going to say things I don't believe, lie in a court of law just to get out of serving. Sure enough, the attorneys were forced to use their strikes on other prospective jurors....and just like that, I was seated in the jury box with the six others who didn't mark themselves as insane during questioning. It was here that I started to appreciate how well this building actually functions as a courthouse. While locked up in the jury pool, the prospective juror doesn't get to see anything, doesn't grasp the inner workings of the courthouse and what a vast well-run production it is. There is a lot going on in the corridors and lobbies here, with the hustle and bustle of bailiffs, corrections officers, attorneys, jurors, police officers, judges, clerks, crime scene investigators, court reporters, various interested parties, and of course, inmates. And, as jurors - we the people are truly the stars of this well-oiled show. As much as everyone whines about it, myself included, it is a real experience - I know I won't ever view it in the same way. As unpleasant and difficult as it is to hold someone's fate in hand, in the form of a guilty verdict....if my number is called again, I will gladly serve. The judges and both the prosecuting and defense attorneys will likely tell you that all of this is not like TV...but I found it to be quite the contrary, I think it's an awful lot like TV, save for the teary-eyed confessions on the stand and that jackass know-it-all prosecutor who made me want to punch him every time I watched Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It can, at times, be riveting drama, with all the players on the "stage" straight out of central casting. I'm sure most people are vaguely aware that courthouses are public places. However, I don't think most know that they could actually come and follow trials all day long. To be sure, that would be an unconventional way to pass a free day, but face it, you were probably just going to watch Law & Order reruns anyway. Might as well come to the Gerstein Building and get the real thing! read more

What a waste of time!!!! Approx. 100 or so people waiting in the jury pool room doing absolutely nothing but sleeping, waiting, or watching a movie for 2-3 hours. Is this what being a hard working citizen is about?! Sitting and doing absolutely nothing but waiting for hours in a room doing nothing?! This is ludicrous and the system needs to change because it is nothing but a waste of time and energy. read more

Absolutely everyone from the judge, to the bailiff, and from the security checkpoint people to the Au Bon Pan restaurant employees...you can tell that everyone here loves their job! No matter how much you don't want to be there, the staff makes a huge effort to help make your day go by as smoothly and as quickly as possible. Coolest parts of the day: - watching an undisturbed movie "Everybody's Fine" in the lobby - free WiFi - a special thank you from the judge expressing her gratitude for choosing to serve as jury members. - meeting a stenographer who could type 220 words per minute. read more

Came for Jury duty, thankfully they let me out by 2pm or so. Bring computers, books, cell phones, everything is allowed. There is no Wifi, but you can tether easily enough. The elevators seem to have issues here, there are very few food options, you must walk over near Jackson for options. Lots of street vendors if you want to test your luck with street meat. read more

Well its not as daunting as you think. The day flies by. There is free WiFi. Bring plenty of charge on your tablet or phone. And Purell. Gus was our bailiff and wow. This man is the true definition of someone who enjoys his job. He makes the whole process better and isn't grumpy nor impatient, best customer service.-thanks Gus. You will get thanked a million times and reminded that they know it's an inconvenience. The bldg is old and the first floor restroom is not the one to use. Staff at the cafes there are nice. Very clean. The process is actually quite efficient. So although it seems like you are going to loathe it, it's not so bad, starting a morning off with The Blind Side and some people watching makes for a start to a day that may appear long and tasking. read more

While the building its self looks awful and dirty, everyone inside does there job of helping you find what you need. lines are long in the mornings parking is horrible. Plenty of homeless people around asking for money which usually smell worst that a fish joints garbage. But other than that unless your coming to court on murder charges you should be fine read more

Not going to say why I was here, let's just say I'll drive a lot slower lol. The service was fast and easy. I was done less than an hour. Thanks for improving your service. read more

The snack bar is amazin! I just had the best turkey bacón club. The staff is nice too.

I have never had a Robles with the courthouse or the employees. I'm Def a fan of au bon pain on the first floor. There's also another food area on the 7th floor that few people know about. read more

They do not answer their phones!!! I was summoned for an incident where I was a witness. The date they sent me was during a time when I would be out of the country. I called and called, I tried all sorts of different menu options to see if I could be directed to answers. I went on line, there's no information or anyway to notify them that I will not be available!!! Our tax dollars at their best...NOT! read more