|
- What is the appropriate dress for serving jury duty in Dallas
County?
Dress as you would for church or a job interview. No shorts or tank
tops are permitted.
- When serving jury duty, will there be a lot of waiting involved?
It is possible that jurors may have to wait in the Central Jury Room
or outside a courtroom for an indefinite period of time. This is not"wasted" time because the immediate availability of a jury
panel frequently motivates the parties of a trial to negotiate and settle
a case without a trial.
- Will jurors be kept overnight in a hotel?
It is extremely unlikely that jurors will be kept together or sequestered
overnight. In most cases, if it appears a jury will be sequestered,
the judge will be able to forewarn the jurors.
- Must jurors be paid by their employers while serving jury
duty?
No, but most employers pay their employees regular salaries during
the employee's jury service. It is a violation of state law for an employee
to be terminated for serving jury duty.
- If circumstances beyond my control prevent me from appearing
on my scheduled date, and I cannot reach the department in the morning
on the telephone, will a warrant be issued for my arrest?
No, you will not be arrested. There is a 2 week grace period in which you may send a letter of explanation
to the Jury Services Department and you will be rescheduled and mailed
a postcard with a new appearance date.
- Are business
and economic reasons a valid reason to be excused from jury service?
No, business and economic reasons are not valid as an exemption or
an excuse from jury service.
- May I get another DART bus coupon if I have postponed my jury
service?
No. The passes are issued as a courtesy of DART and are valid for the
original date only. If you are postponed, the original pass is not valid.
- Why am I unable to get through by telephone to the Jury Services Department at different times throughout the day?
The Jury Services Department has a limited number of employees to answer
telephones. Thousands of persons are summoned for jury duty at both
Dallas County locations each week so that jurors may be provided to
85 courts. With the number of persons reporting for jury duty and the
volume of phone calls, phones cannot be answered at different times
throughout the day. Most questions can be answered by viewing the entire jury summons.
Exemptions, disqualifications, medical reasons and postponement requests
are shown on the back side of the summons. You may claim or request those by mail. The address is located on the front side of the summons.
You
may request a postponement online as well.
If you do not see an exemption or disqualification that fits your
situation, you will need to appear on your assigned date and speak to
the Judge in the Court to which you are assigned.
- How are names selected for jury service?
Every 2-1/2 years, the Secretary of State prepares Dallas County's
jury wheel by combining records from driver's license, identification
and voter registration records.
- Why do I get so many jury summons?
You may receive a jury summons from the City government, the County
government and the Federal government.
To avoid receiving more than one summons per jury wheel in Dallas County,
you need to check with the Elections Division of Dallas County to inquire
if your driver's license number is listed on your voter's registration
record.
- Where do I park? Is there a fee for parking?
The parking garages operated by the County are shown on the back side
of the summons. If you park in one of the County garages, you may validate
your ticket at the Jury Services Department to receive a reduced parking
rate. THERE IS NO FREE PARKING.
- How do I postpone my jury service?
Available now is an online request form which you may submit via this
web site. Click
here to submit an online jury service postponement request.
You may also write a letter to the Jury Services Department and request
a postponement. You will be mailed a postcard showing a new date to
appear. (Please see next question)
- What do I do if I have not received a postcard with a new
date to appear and my originally scheduled date arrives?
Wait for a postcard to arrive in the mail. You do NOT need to appear
or call. The Jury Services Department receives a large volume of mail.
You will receive a postcard as soon as possible with a new date to appear
for jury service.
|
