Marilyn Burgess
Harris County District Clerk

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Houston, TX | January 21, 2022 [Z2A]

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Juror General Information

If you have received a summons to a Justice of the Peace Court contact the court at http://jp.hctx.net/ for further instructions.

MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS

You may claim a medical exemption if you have a severe physical or mental condition that makes it impossible for you to serve as a juror, even with reasonable accommodation. To claim a medical exemption, you must present a copy of this form signed by a physician.

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 September 14, 2018. 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 unable to care for himself or herself. (This does not apply to health care workers.); 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 the United States; Is a resident 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

If you have been assigned to downtown for your jury service, you are to report to the El Franco Lee Public Service Plaza located at 1201 Congress. Free parking will be provided if you park in the 1401 Congress parking garage. Please arrive early to secure a parking spot as this garage tends to fill up early. You must bring your ticket in with you in order to have it validated. Entrances to this garage are located on both La Branch and Austin streets. There are no in and out privileges.

Regarding summons for Justice of the Peace Courts, parking is available at the respective courthouse address noted on the summons.

METRO INFORMATION

METRO provides free transportation to jury service by showing a copy of your emailed assignment. Use METRO's trip planner online or on the app to find the best combination of bus or light rail routes to your assigned location. If you need assistance planning your route, contact METRO at 713-635-4000 or www.rideMETRO.org.

JUROR PAY DONATION TO CHARITY

If you choose to do so, you can donate your juror pay ($6 the first day of service and $40 starting on the second day of service until released) to charitable organizations approved the State of Texas and the Harris County Commissioners Court. Following is a list of the charitable organizations.

Victims of Crime Fund
Assists innocent victims of crime who have resulting expenses that cannot be reimbursed from insurance or other sources, such as reasonable medical, counseling, prescription, and rehabilitation expenses; certain funeral expenses; partial loss of earning and support; and child care. The Office of the Attorney General administers the fund 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
Works with families toward 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.

Harris County Veterans' Treatment Court
Provides access to mental health and addiction treatment for veterans with felony and misdemeanor offenses.

Veterans County Service Office
We advocate for veterans and their dependents in Harris County. We provide assistance to veterans and their dependents regarding compensation, pension, medical, educational, insurance, and death benefits. We assist veterans and their dependents in obtaining important documentation needed to apply for benefits.

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.

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.
Provides support to improve life opportunities of low-income children and families through education, social and health services, and community development initiatives.

The 100 Club, Inc.
Provide assistance to dependents of certified peace officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty while protecting our lives and property.

ESCAPE Family Resource Center
Supports prevention of child abuse and neglect before a child is hurt by providing intervention, education, and support programs to families in crisis.

Houston Area Womens Center
Helps individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence in their efforts to move their lives forward.

Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
Brings resources, education, and connection to underserved neighborhoods. Provides services to communities through child care management, free income tax preparation, adult education, Head Start, Early Head Start, and charter schools as well as programs for disaster recovery, early childhood development, youth, the elderly, and low-income families.

K9s4COPS
Addresses the need for funding the purchase of K9s for Law Enforcement Agencies, bridges the gap between the purchase of a K9 and the cost for required care, training, and transportation of a K9, and ensures that K9 cost never keeps an Officer from having their K9 partner.

Special Olympics Texas, Inc.
Provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with disabilities.

A World For Children
Is a child placing agency with a mission to provide foster care and adoptive services for abused and neglected children, ages birth to 18 years.

The Women's Home
Provides housing and support services to women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Houston Area since 1957.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking.

Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston
The mission of Interfaith Ministries is to bring people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration, and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs.

AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse)
The mission of AVDA is to end family violence by advocating for the safety and self-determination of victims, promoting accountability for abusers and fostering a community response to abuse.

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

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.

To be eligible for grand jury service, you must attend when summoned for Harris County jury duty. Attendance does not guarantee that you will be selected for grand jury or trial service.

Jurors will receive $6 for the first day of service. Jurors serving more than one day of jury service will be compensated at a rate calculated by the State Comptroller based upon available funding.

Click here for additional information about grand juries.

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

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK

Marilyn Burgess, Harris County District Clerk
201 Caroline, Suite 420
Houston, TX 77002
(832) 927-5800

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