Jury Duty

• Bring your Jury Summons to Court. You may be able to have it printed by the Clerk
• You will sign-in with a court clerk at the Municipal Court window in the lobby
• You will be summoned to the Courtroom to hear Class C Misdemeanor cases, punishable by fine only
• You should expect to answer pre-qualification questions, touching upon your ability to serve
• You should expect to be at the court for at least 2-3 hours
• Most cases are completed in one day o You will be required to adhere to the Municipal Court Dress Code

Per Texas Government Code 62.102, a juror:

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be a citizen of the United States.
• Must be a resident of this state and of the county in which the person is to serve as a juror.
• Must be qualified under the Constitution and laws to vote in the county in which the person is to serve as a juror.
• Must be of sound mind and good moral character.
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must not have served as a juror for six days during the preceding three months in the county court or during the preceding six months in a district court.
• Must not have been convicted of misdemeanor theft or a felony.
• Must not be under indictment or other legal accusation for misdemeanor theft or a felony.

Per Texas Government Code 62.106, a juror may establish an exemption from jury service if the person:

• is over 70 years of age;
• has legal custody of a child younger than 12 years of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the child without adequate supervision;
• is a student of a public or private secondary school;
• is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an institution of higher education;
• is an officer or employee of the senate, the house of representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of government;
• has served as a petit juror in the county during the 24 month period preceding the date the person is to appear;
• is the primary caretaker of a person who is an invalid unable to care for himself or herself; or
• is a member of the United States military forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from the person's home station and out of the person's county of residence.

NOTE: it is a best practice to make a request for exemption in writing prior if you think you are exempt, so that the judge may rule on the matter prior to court

Per Texas Government Code 62.0141: In addition to any criminal penalty prescribed by law, a person summoned for jury service who does not comply with the summons as required by law or who knowingly provides false information in a request for exemption or to be excused from jury service is subject to a contempt action punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000.

For additional information, please contact the Municipal Court at 254-298-5687