Texas Uniform Jury Handbook As Authorized by Chapter 23 of the Government Code

The United States 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. Justice ultimately depends to a large measure upon the quality of the jurors who serve in our courts.

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As a juror, you must be fair and impartial. Your actions and decisions must be free of any bias or prejudice. Your actions and decisions are the foundation of our judicial system.

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You were selected at random from the Harris County Voter Registration list and the Texas Department of Public Safety list of drivers or ID card holders living in Harris County.

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Jurors must:

*Be a citizen of the United States and of this State.
*Be at least 18 years of age.
*Reside in the county of jury service.
*Be able to read and write.
*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.

If you are in doubt, or think you may not be qualified to serve on a jury for one of the above or any other reasons please contact the jury assembly room staff.

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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 himself/herself (an invalid).
*Can show a physical or mental impairment or an inability to comprehend or to communicate in English.

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There are two basic types of cases: criminal and civil (including family cases).

Criminal cases
A criminal case results when a person is accused of committing a crime. You, as a juror, must decide whether the person charged is guilty or not guilty. The accused person is presumed innocent, and the State, represented by the District or County Attorney, must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Civil cases
A civil case results from a disagreement or dispute between two or more parties. In a civil case, you, as a juror, must answer questions of disputed facts based upon the testimony and evidence admitted by the judge. The answers to these questions are called the verdict.

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Yes. You will be paid $6.00 for the first day of service and $40.00 for each additional day.

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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.

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Any person charged with a criminal offense or any party to a civil case has a right to a jury trial. All parties are equal before the law and each is entitled to the same fair treatment.

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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.

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Cases will usually be heard by juries of 6 or 12. The 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 a given number of jurors from the panel without having to show any reason. The trial jury will be the first 6 or 12 of the remaining persons on the panel.

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It is a way for the parties to select a fair and impartial jury. Under the justice system, you may be questioned by each of the lawyers before they decide to remove a certain number of persons from the jury panel.

For example, the lawyer may ask you questions to see if you are connected to the trial or if you have any prejudice or bias toward anyone in the trial. These questions are not intended to embarrass you, but rather to help the lawyers in the jury selection process. You may ask the judge to allow you to answer some questions away from the other persons on the panel

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After you have been selected as a juror on a trial panel, if you have a special need or an emergency, tell the bailiff.

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