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Jury Service General Information Juror Resources

[WS1] Home > Juror Services > General Information

Houston, Texas | May 24, 2013

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Contact Information

Harris County Jury Assembly:

Harris County Jury Plaza
1201 Congress
Houston, TX 77002

Hours:	Mon - Fri, 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone:	713-755-6392 (after 10 am)
Fax:	713-755-4899

For additional Juror information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or e-mail us.

Juror General Information

EXEMPTIONS FROM JURY SERVICE (Gov’t Code, Section 62.106)

A person qualified to serve as a petit 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 public or private secondary school; Is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an institution of higher education; Is an officer or an employee of the senate, the House of Representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state government; Is summoned for service and have served as a petit juror in Harris County during the current jury wheel reconstitution period. The current period began March 28, 2011. Summons prior to that date do not qualify for this exemption. (This exemption does not apply to Federal and Municipal Court jury service.) Is the primary caretaker of a person who is an invalid unable to care for himself; 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.
You are not required to claim an exemption. It is your choice. Business reasons are NOT lawful excuses. Note: If you think you have a situation that may exempt you but is not on the form, you must appear on the date you’ve been summoned. Once assigned to court, you will have the opportunity to discuss your situation and be considered for exemption at that time.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR JURY SERVICE (Gov’t Code, Section 62.102)

A person is disqualified to serve as a petit juror unless the person:
Is at least 18 years of age; Is a citizen of this state and of the county in which the person is to serve as a juror; Is qualified under the constitution and laws to vote in the county in which the person is to serve as a juror; Is of sound mind and good moral character; Is able to read and write; Has not served as a petit juror for six days during the preceding three months in the county court or during the preceding six months in the district court; Has not been convicted of misdemeanor theft or a felony; and Is not under indictment or other legal accusation for misdemeanor theft or a felony.
Note: Persons claiming a disqualification based on the lack of citizenship or the lack of residence in the county may no longer be eligible to vote in the county. Claims of this kind will be reported to the Voter Registrar.

JUROR PARKING

Parking is available at the respective courthouse address noted on the summons for Justice of the Peace Courts. If you have been either summoned or selected for jury service downtown, you qualify for a discounted parking rate at the parking garage located at 1401 Congress (entrances on La Branch or Austin Streets), , at a discounted rate of $6.00 for the entire day. We will provide you with a voucher to use with your parking ticket to reduce your rate. There are no in/out privileges. Jurors are advised to pay in advance at the kiosk located in the Jury Plaza. Kiosks accept cash or credit cards.

Jury Plaza closes at 4:30 however there is a kiosk located on the first floor of the parking garage if you choose to pay after you complete your service. If you are selected to serve multiple days you will no longer need a parking voucher. Upon exiting the garage you will show your juror badge or the top of your summons to the parking attendant and you will receive the discounted rate.

Please do not park at the metered parking. You will not be allowed to leave to deposit money in the meter and will risk receiving an unnecessary parking ticket.

View a map of the downtown area.

METRO INFORMATION

Perhaps the easiest and the least expensive way to get to your jury service is to take the bus. METRO provides a complimentary one-way trip for anyone going to jury duty on the original date of their summons. Prospective jurors who are not selected for jury duty may ask the court for a METRO jury pass for their trip home. This pass will be date stamped (valid through the same day). If you don't know what bus to take, contact Metro at (713) 635-4000 or www.ridemetro.org. You’ll get all the information you need to get you to the right bus and home again.

JUROR PAY DONATION TO CHARITY

Victims of Crime Fund
Provides assistance to eligible innocent victims of crime who have resulting expenses that cannot be reimbursed from insurance or other sources. This fund provides compensation on approved claims such as the following:

Reasonable medical, counseling, prescription, and rehabilitation expenses
Certain funeral expenses
Partial loss of earning and support
Child care to enable a victim or spouse, or the surviving spouse of a deceased victim, to continue employment

The Office of the Attorney General administers the fund and is committed to helping victims who qualify under the statutory guidelines of the Texas Victims’ Compensation Act (Chapter 56 - Subchapter B, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure).

Children’s Protective Services Child Welfare Service Fund
Responsibilities of this program include accepting all child abuse and neglect referrals, working with families toward the goal of resolving family problems and preventing the removal of children from the home, placing a child in appropriate substitute care or adoption when necessary, providing casework services to status offenders and children in need of supervision, and providing children in agency custody with adequate medical care. The executive director is responsible to the Children’s Protective Services Board, which is appointed by Commissioners Court in accordance with Texas Family Code §264.005.

Child Advocates, Inc.
Mobilizes court appointed volunteers to break the cycle of child abuse and speak up for and guide abused children into safe environments where they can thrive. This organization trains and supports volunteers assigned to the cases of children who have been victims of life-threatening abuse or neglect and, as a result, have been placed in protective custody. Volunteers serve children involved in the juvenile court system once appointed to a child’s case by a juvenile court judge, and have the legal status of "guardians ad litem," giving them the power to affect real change in the life of a child.

Crime Stoppers of Houston, Inc.
Mission is to solve and prevent crime in the Greater Houston area in partnership with citizens, media, and the criminal justice system.

Casa De Esperanza De Los Niños, Inc.
Provides residential care for abused, abandoned, neglected, medically fragile, and HIV affected infants and young children.

Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Inc.
Mission is to improve life opportunities of low-income children and families through the provision of education, social and health services, and community development initiatives.

To make a donation to one of these charities, please obtain the Juror Donation Authorization Form. This form will be available after the completion of your jury service, upon request.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES

For persons with hearing impairments, the Harris County Jury Room offers the William Sound Plus WIR TX10 Infared transmitter, selectable 95 khz or 250 khz carrier. The system is designed to transmit high quality audio for hearing assistance and language interpretation applications.

Sign language and captioning are also provided upon request. Please contact Harris County Jury Assembly at (713) 755-6392 or via e-mail at jury@hcdistrictclerk.com at least one day before you are scheduled to appear. The District Clerk's office will contact the company that provides these two services and get assistance for you scheduled.

JUROR PAY DONATION AGENCY INSTRUCTIONS AND APPLICATION

Texas Government Code §61.003 prescribes provisions relating to the donation of a prospective juror of the daily reimbursement for jury service. As required by the law, two charities are included as options for consideration by jurors:
Victims of Crime Fund; and Child Welfare Service Fund (Children and Adult Protective Services).
This statute also includes a provision for any program selected by Commissioners’ Court that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence. To be considered for this program, please review the instructions and submit your application for consideration within the specified timeframe noted in the application.
Juror Pay Donation Agency Instruction Sheet Juror Pay Donation Agency Application

GRAND JURY

Want to serve on a Grand Jury? A grand jury consists of twelve people whose job is to review criminal complaints and decide if there is sufficient evidence to issue an indictment. The standard of proof for an indictment is probable cause. Want to know more? Click here to find out more information on how to serve on a Grand Jury.

It is advisable to eat breakfast as we do not know when or if the court will break for lunch.

Disqualifications/Exemptions

View FAQs for disqualifications or exemptions.