|
Jurors and Jury
Trials
Frequently Asked
Question about Serving on a Jury
The U.S. Constitution and the Texas
Constitution guarantee all people, regardless of race,
religion, sex, national origin, or economic status,
the right to trial by an impartial jury. As a juror,
you must be fair and impartial. Your actions and decisions
are the foundation of our judicial system. President
John Adams said that the jury is the heart and lungs
of our Republic.
How was I selected?
You were selected at random from a list of voter registrations
and a list of driver registrations from the county in
which you live.
Am I eligible?
Jurors must: be a citizen of the United States and Texas;
be at least 18 years of age; reside in the county of
jury service; be able to read and write; and be of sound
mind.
You cannot serve on a jury if: you have been convicted
of a felony or of any type of theft (unless rights have
been restored); you are now on probation or deferred
adjudication for a felony or for any type of theft;
or you are now under indictment for a felony or are
now under criminal charges for any type of theft.
Who can be excused
from jury service?
You are entitled to be excused as a juror if you: are
over 70 years of age; have legal custody of a child
under 10 years of age and jury service would leave the
child unsupervised; are a student in class; are the
caretaker of a person who is unable to care for themselves
(an invalid) or can show a physical or mental impairment
or an inability to comprehend or to communicate in English;
or are a member of the U.S. military forces serving
on active duty and deployed to a location away from
your home station and out of your country of resident.
Can I be excused
from jury duty for economic or business reasons?
The law does not allow a person to be excused for economic
reasons or business reasons. Nurses, doctors, teachers,
and police officers are not exempt or disqualified because
of their profession. (Judges must serve jury duty.)
However, you may speak to the Judge in the Court to
which you are assigned during the voir dire phase of
the trial about your particular situation but there
are no guarantees that you will be excused.
Will I be paid
for being a juror?
Yes. You will be paid a minimum of $6.00 for each day,
if you are sworn in as a juror. You will receive $12.00
per day if you actually sit as a juror on a case.
Are there rules
about jury conduct?
Yes. The Texas Supreme Court has rules to assist you
in your conduct as a juror, which will be given to you
by the judge.
How is a juror selected for a particular case?
Cases will be heard by juries of six jurors. A larger
group, called a panel, will be sent to the trial court
(courtroom), where the jurors will be questioned under
the supervision of the judge. A juror may be excused
from the panel if it is shown that the juror cannot
act impartially concerning the case to be heard. In
addition, each side is allowed to remove three jurors
from the panel without having to show any reason. The
trial jury will be the first six of the remaining jurors
on the panel.
Must my employer
pay me while I am on jury duty?
Your employer is not required to pay you while on jury
duty; however, employers are prohibited by law from
firing an employee for serving as a juror.
Can I communicate
with the judge?
You have the right to communicate with the judge regarding
any matters affecting your deliberations, including
but not limited to: physical comfort; special needs,
any questions regarding evidence; or, the charge of
the court. During deliberation, if it becomes necessary
to communicate with the judge, the bailiff or the officer
of the court will deliver jurors' notes to the judge.
How can I demand
a jury trial?
You must pay a $5.00 jury fee to the clerk of the court
no later than 24 hour prior to the trial setting of
your case.
What happens if
I don't appear for the trial of may case after I have
requested a trial by jury?
The judge of the case may order a party who demands
a jury trial and who fails to appear for the trial to
pay all the costs incurred for impaneling the jury.
Additionally that party who fails to appear may be charged
with an additional charge of failure to appear.
What is the function
of a juror in a trial?
The members of a jury collectively act as the sole judge
of all disputed facts of a case. It is the duty of a
judge to see that the case is tried in accordance with
the rules of law.
Forms downloadable
in Microsoft Word format can be saved to your computer
and you can fill in the blanks and add your information
to the forms. Forms
downloadable in the PDF format can not be altered in
any way. Both forms
formats can be saved to your computer and can be printed
through your
system.
please
choose a format |
| Demand
for Jury |
|
|
| Issuance of
Bad Check Affidavit |
|
|
| Reply Form |
|
|
| Jury Demand |
|
|
| Driver Safety
Course Affidavit |
|
|
| Driving Record
Request |
|
|
|
