Jury Duty....

[The Annoyed Man]

Been living in Texas since April of 2006, and I just got my very first jury summons since arriving here. I'm supposed to report to the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on Belknap St in Fort Worth, at 8:00 a.m. on June 17th.

So the last time I got called to jury duty was back in California in about 1997 or so. At the time as I recall, you got summoned for a fixed number of days.....like 10 business days or something like that. If you didn't get empaneled on a jury by the end of the 10 days, your obligation was discharged and you were released back into the wild. If you got onto a jury panel, you were obligated for as long as the case took to try. However, if the case concluded before your 10 days were up, your obligation was considered discharged and you were released back into the wild.

Alternatively, once you checked in to the jury pool waiting room, instead of keeping you there, they might offer you a choice of either being released for the day with instructions to phone in each morning at 8 a.m. to see if you need to come in; OR to stay and wait out the 10 days. The problem with this method is that just checking in did not always count as a day served toward the 10 day obligation. They might tell you that only the days that you actually got called in would count.

I actually made it onto a jury in a 3rd strike attempted murder case and was told to report the next morning at 8 a.m. to the same courtroom for the commencement of trial. Got there the next morning to find the courtroom door locked, and waited in the hallway there with a handfull of other jurors until a bailiff came and unlocked it from the inside and opened the door. We started to enter, and he barred the way and told us that the trial had been postponed and that we had been released. I went back up to the jury pool waiting room and checked in. They told me that my obligation had been discharged and I could go home. That was the end of it.

I've got some questions for those who have done jury duty in Tarrant County......

1. Are you compensated? I'm self employed and I'm not earning a living while I'm trapped in the jury pool, and the summons says that you cannot be excused for financial hardship reasons. I don't seriously expect that it will be much.....back in California in the 1990s, it was on the order of $15-$20/day.....but every little bit helps.

2. I realize that I can't bring any kind of weapon, including a pocket knife, into the courthouse, but I'd like to be able to at least be armed on my way to and from between Grapevine where I live and the courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. Is there secured parking nearby the courthouse where I can secure my firearm in my car with a reasonable expectation that it will still be there when I am done each evening?

3. What's a good place to eat that is in walking distance from the courthouse?

4. What am I not thinking of that you think I should know?

Thanks for any information you all can give me.

[sjfcontrol]

I got called for jury duty in Collin county a few years back. Get to the courthouse, wait to be let in, go thru metal detector (before my CHL). Wait to be let into jury pool room. Wait in jury pool room. Some guy comes in and says that they don't need any juries today, and we can all go home -- and this satisfies our duty for something like 3 years.

I was actually disappointed, as I was "between contracts" and was looking forward to some jucy trial. Maybe a book deal. TV coverage. Something... Got bupkiss.

[rtschl]

TAM,

Fill out the online form!!! I was assigned to a jury pool before the reporting day and didn't have to wait in the jury room to be assigned. In fact, I didn't have to go in until 1:00 PM. Mine was a little different in that the defense attorney had a family emergency and we were sent home Monday around 3:30 PM. Came back Tuesday and the judge dismissed us around 9:30 as the trial was rescheduled. He could have sent us back to jury pool, but said we could go home since we came two days in a row for this case.

Yes on compensation. Mine was $6.00 the first day and then $36.00 per day.

I parked across the street (South side) on the open lot that is also parking lot for Sheriff's department (open to the public). But you have to get there early to get a spot. I kept my weapon locked in my trunk in my lock box.

I didn't have to eat lunch, so I don't know what's good to eat that is near.

You will have to remove your belt and shoes and anything metallic. So dress accordingly, but make sure you follow dress code.

Ron

[MadMonkey]

I got a jury summons almost EXACTLY when I arrived home on leave.

I was debating about whether to return to Afghanistan within the month, but now I don't really have a choice... which means I can't make my foreign earned income exclusion, which is going to cost me about $20k Yeah, that $30 a day is going to be a BIG help.

[omegaman]

take something to read...you'll be glad you did

[jimtexas68]

I just completed jury duty in Harris County in March and they sent me a big fat check for six bucks. Where are ya'll getting the 20-30 dollar per day stuff?

[RX8er]

Been living in Texas since April of 2006, and I just got my very first jury summons since arriving here. I'm supposed to report to the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on Belknap St in Fort Worth, at 8:00 a.m. on June 17th.

So the last time I got called to jury duty was back in California in about 1997 or so. At the time as I recall, you got summoned for a fixed number of days.....like 10 business days or something like that. If you didn't get empaneled on a jury by the end of the 10 days, your obligation was discharged and you were released back into the wild. If you got onto a jury panel, you were obligated for as long as the case took to try. However, if the case concluded before your 10 days were up, your obligation was considered discharged and you were released back into the wild.

Alternatively, once you checked in to the jury pool waiting room, instead of keeping you there, they might offer you a choice of either being released for the day with instructions to phone in each morning at 8 a.m. to see if you need to come in; OR to stay and wait out the 10 days. The problem with this method is that just checking in did not always count as a day served toward the 10 day obligation. They might tell you that only the days that you actually got called in would count.

I actually made it onto a jury in a 3rd strike attempted murder case and was told to report the next morning at 8 a.m. to the same courtroom for the commencement of trial. Got there the next morning to find the courtroom door locked, and waited in the hallway there with a handfull of other jurors until a bailiff came and unlocked it from the inside and opened the door. We started to enter, and he barred the way and told us that the trial had been postponed and that we had been released. I went back up to the jury pool waiting room and checked in. They told me that my obligation had been discharged and I could go home. That was the end of it.

I've got some questions for those who have done jury duty in Tarrant County......

1. Are you compensated? I'm self employed and I'm not earning a living while I'm trapped in the jury pool, and the summons says that you cannot be excused for financial hardship reasons. I don't seriously expect that it will be much.....back in California in the 1990s, it was on the order of $15-$20/day.....but every little bit helps.

2. I realize that I can't bring any kind of weapon, including a pocket knife, into the courthouse, but I'd like to be able to at least be armed on my way to and from between Grapevine where I live and the courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. Is there secured parking nearby the courthouse where I can secure my firearm in my car with a reasonable expectation that it will still be there when I am done each evening?

3. What's a good place to eat that is in walking distance from the courthouse?

4. What am I not thinking of that you think I should know?

Thanks for any information you all can give me.

Ahhh, civic duty, the joy!!!
1. It's not much. I believe it is $6.00 for the first day and $36.00 per day after if you are selected.
2. Do not park in the court provided parking as there are many many break-ins. I chose to park in the secured parking garage across the street from the courts.
3. It changes quickly. When I did it a couple years ago, there was a subway and a little sandwich shop within a block.
4. I always wear a suite and tie for jury duty. I'll try and find the statistics for it but.... I have been told and I have read that a man in a suite and tie is a business person an too analytical for the jury process. Prosecutors and defense don't like it. They want an "every day Joe" to be in the box because they can relate. An acquaintance of mine who is in the highly paid business of jury selection once told me that the more democratic you look, the more likely you will be picked. Of course, this changes with each case but is a general rule.

I have been twice and not selected and have been released right after lunch. You being in Grapevine, you may be selected to go to the Grapevine courts and check in there. Essentially in FTW, you check in, sit in a big room and wait. Everyone is given an opportunity to tell a court worker why they should not be on a jury.

I've always wanted to walk in and say "guilty, hang em all" and see if they will let me leave.

Here are the disqualifications, you could come up with one reason can't you:

You are disqualified to serve as a juror in Tarrant County if you are:

Not a U. S. citizen.
Not at least 18 years of age.
Not a resident of Tarrant County.
Convicted of a felony.
Under indictment for a felony or any theft charge.
Convicted of any theft.
Unable to read or write the English language.
Not of sound mind or good moral character.
If you have served as a petit juror for longer than 6 days within the last 6 months in a District Court or within the last 3 months in a County Court .
If you are disqualified from serving, you may file your disqualification online on the Tarrant County Jury Service eResponse System.

[TexasCajun]

Jury duty in Texas is a one day affair unless you're picked for a jury or alternate. $6 for the day if you aren't picked. More if you serve on a jury. I served on a jury in 2002 or 2003 (I think) in Harris county. IIRC we each got $18 per day plus they bought us lunch. The last time I had jury duty, I sat in the jury assembly room until lunch time when we who hadn't been called onto a panel were let loose. I wasn't too bad because they've recently remodeled the building to make it a bit more comfortable. Plus they had free Wi-Fi!!!

[RottenApple]

I got called up for jury duty in Collin County a few months back. Did the online check in, checked back every couple of days, and was dismissed the week before I was supposed to report in. I dunno if online checking is available everywhere, but if you can, use it. It may save you some time.

BTW, I now you do web dev. Can you do some of your work while sitting around waiting? Just a thought....

[TexasGal]

I have been called probably 6 times in Tarrant County. They take it seriously so if you have car trouble, call in. Otherwise you may find a deputy hunting you down. In most cases, I have been out either by 10am or mid afternoon. The mid afternoon time happens if they hold you in a back up pool of jurors. When I have been picked for a jury, it has been a one or two day thing. There is a parking garage close to the courthouse, but the last time I used it, the fee was a little high and I think that has gone up. There are pay lots also nearby just East of the courthouse in easy walking distance that I have not had trouble with. The summons specifies there is more remote parking north of the courthouse with bus service but I have not used that. I have heard there is more trouble with break ins there. No idea on the food since I never really needed to know.
Ditto on taking something to read. You will be glad you did.
They will allow you to reschedule your court date once so if it is falling on a bad day, then call them and ask.
It's been about a year since my last summons so there may have been changes since then.

[anygunanywhere]

Once the goobermints allow illegals to serve on juries the daily rate will increase.

Anygunanywhere

[SC1903A3]

A.D.D. moment, I live in Dallas county so I'm not familiar with Ft. Worth. When I heard Tim Curry Justice Center the first thing that popped in my head was Rocky Horror Picture Show. So who else had the same thought?

[Keith B]

I just served on a Jury for a code violation in Plano about 2 months ago. Have jury summons for June 4th at Federal Court in Plano. I have been called multiple times for selection in county and federal court and sat in the Voir Dire on criminal cases, but never selected due to a law enforcement background. I have only been selected for the jury once on a civil case and the one in Plano for the code violation.

One of the calls in Collin County court was for a retaliation case where a person had threatened to go after a deputy sheriff because he arrested his brother. There was an active Plano police officer in the Voir Dire and we sat a couple of seats apart. One of the defense attorney's even pointed to us during the selection phase and said 'You know you two aren't getting chosen' and laughed. I asked the Judge if we could be dismissed as we had been excluded. She stated, 'No, just sit back and enjoy the show!'

[jimlongley]

My wife has a different set of luck with juries than I do, she served twice in the six years we lived in IL and once more down here in TX. We have each been summoned every three years like clockwork. The last time I went, we sat outside, were herded inside, sat while several trials got called, and then sent home, the time before I got to the courthouse and was sent home in time to make it to work on time, leading to a great deal of confusion at Home Depot as they did not know how to handle it when someone excused for Jury Duty showed up to work.

A previous visit got me in the cattle call in the courtroom that they call voir dire and the prosecution excused me for cause when I told them I was a former volunteer fireman and that I had accident scene investigation and preservation training.

When I was a resident of NY I was a volunteer fireman for many years and thus exempt from jury duty, but after I left the fire department I was called. My young snot nosed kid boss at the time threw a tizzy when I told him that I had been called and told me to call them and tell them was not able to come because I could not be spared from work. I laughed at him and gave him the clerk of the court's number and told him to call them. They laughed at him too, and told him that if I did not respond to the subpoena I could be arrested and jailed, even if it was on his orders.

I arrived at the courthouse (two blocks from my office, parked in my usual parking space) prepared for long boring and hoping for a long murder trial. I was selected to be part of the pool for a trail of a young rasta kid who had been a drug courier. As we sat through voir dire nobody could find any reason to object to me, so at the end, when they needed 12 plus 2 alternates I was the 15th person in the pool so they sent me home. That case was funny. The kid had gotten on the local bus from NY City to Albany, and he got off with his duffel bag at every stop, met with someone, and then got back on the bus. This made the bus driver suspicious so he called the state police, who had an undercover person on the bus shortly thereafter. From there to Albany, a pretty long trip on the local, after every stop, the state police busted the person who received the drugs. When they arrived in Albany they swooped in and busted the kid and his supplier who was going to set him up for the return trip. During voir dire the kid sat there in his rasta hat and dreadlocks and scowled at all of the jurors as if he were putting hexes on us. That would have been a fun trial.

After we moved from NY to IL I received a summons from Albany County Court to appear. The summons had been returned to sender from two previous addresses, and had found its way to my parents' address, and they had forwarded it to me. I called the clerk and pointed out that I had been a resident of IL for some years, but if they were going to provide travel expenses and suitable per diem, I would be happy to serve. The clerk, apparently having no sense of humor at all, very snottily told me that in this case I should send a written response detailing my residence circumstance with proof of same and notarized. I asked her to reimburse me for the postage and expense of copying everything and the notary (in IL notaries get a fee under some circumstances) and she got all upset and hung up on me. I wonder if it's safe to go back to NY.

[n5wd]

Downtown eats: Riscky's BBQ (300 Main Street) and Razoo's cajun food (318 Main Street) are my favorites on jury duty day and are just short walks away. If you're feeling expansive, there's always Tejas de Brazil (101 N Houston Street), as well.

Do NOT park in the FW Cat's parking lot (the remote parking mentioned on your summons). Quite a number of vehicle breakins, mostly every day there. The SO should post someone there to protect the juror's cars, but....

I will echo the "bring a book or a mobile device" advice. Last time I was there (back in October IIRC) they were saying that there would soon be WiFi available. Oh, and in Tarrant County, the pay is $6 for the first day, and $34 for each day thereafter. And, Tarrant does have electronic check-in http://www.tarrantcounty.com/ejury/cwp/ ... 7&Q=477886 .