- Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Angleton, TX 77515-4678, Brazoria County Courthouse Read full article. If you. Be a citizen of Texas and a resident of Brazoria County in which you are to serve as a juror, Be of sound mind and good moral character, Be qualified under the constitution and laws to vote in Brazoria County in which you are to serve as a juror (you do not have to be registered to vote to be qualified to vote), Currently living within the limits of the City of Lake Jackson, Not be under indictment or other legal accusation of a misdemeanor theft, felony theft, or any other felony charge, Not have been convicted of theft or any felony, 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 the district court. A juror who is lawfully notified to attend court is subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 if that juror either: fails to attend court in obedience to the notice without a reasonable excuse; or. Do not discuss anything about this case, or even mention it to anyone whomsoever, including your wife or husband nor permit anyone to mention it in your hearing until you are discharged as jurors or excused form this case. However the law states that an employer can not terminate your employment for attending jury service. She served in that role . Families want answers in Brazoria County jury selection: 'This is ridiculous' By Courtney Carpenter. That right has long been considered a fundamental safeguard of each American's civil liberties. There are no transportation exemptions. I just have to believe there was some purpose behind dividing the jurors between Pearland and the rest of the county. You will be paid by the county in an amount not less than $6.00 and not more than $50.00 per day or fraction of a day served. The district clerks of nearby Wharton, Montgomery, and Matagorda counties said they had never heard of anyone using Barchaks method. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Do not mingle with nor talk to the lawyers, the witnesses, the parties, or any other person who might be connected with or interested in the case, except for casual greetings. 500, Angleton, TX 77515. But the Legislature did not alter the system for selecting regular trial juries, and it remains unclear why Barchak would have changed her method at that time. Suite 2214. -See JURY SERVICE - Tex. According to Lewis, a defense attorney who has represented such high-profile clients as Enron chief executive Ken Lay, convicted murderer Robert Durst, and Mexican drug kingpin Osiel Crdenas Guilln, Barchak would take the full stack of around 200 to 250 juror cards into a back room, where she and other county employees would first sort them into two piles: Pearland residents and non-Pearland residents. Its not that hard.. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, Elected Officials - County, State and Federal, American Rescue Plan Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Brazoria County Hurricane Preparedness Expo, Brazoria County Local Emergency Planning Committee, Hurricane Harvey Substantial Damage Information, NOTICE to ALL CRIMINAL & JUVENILE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, Stephen F. Austin-Munson Historical County Park, Vendor Permits and Mass Gathering Information, Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Information, Brazoria County Independent School Districts, Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Brazoria County Awarded Certificate of Achievement, TxDOT Long Term Closures for Bridge Replacements, DSHS recalls oysters harvested in area of southeastern Galveston Bay. But Rhonda Barchak, a Republican who served as district clerk in the fast-growing county that stretches from the Houston suburbs to the Gulf Coast, had her own method. Call your District Clerk's office. While the jury selection process may require your attendance for a day or a fraction of a day, jury duty generally lasts about one week. The Jury Services Department coordinates the creation and service of jury panels for the District Courts, County Courts at Law, and the Justice of the Peace Courts. Next, Lewis said, Barchak would subdivide the two geographical piles into white and non-white jurors. In a statement sent to ABC13 on Friday, Brazoria County District Attorney Tom Selleck said, "The law requires jurors to be selected at random and it is this process that is alleged to have been conducted improperly.". Penalty for Defaulting Jurors.). Occupy the property as your primary residence in the year in which you apply. Be sure that you know where you are supposed to report. While Barchak has remained silent since stepping down, her attorney, Chip Lewis, gave Texas Monthly an accountpublished here for the first timeof her method of selecting jurors, asserting that her only aim was to assemble a representative cross section of the countys population. Yes, you may take care of this matter by indicating on the back of the summons that they are enrolled in college and just sign your name as a parent and return to Jury Services. Note that jurors and others can be called upon to testify in open court about acts of jury misconduct. I have not been convicted of theft or any felony. Municipal Court Office will be closed Thursday, March 02, 2023, in observance of Texas Independence Day. The Texas Rangers are in the process of investigating whether Rhonda Barchak, Brazoria County's former District Clerk, illegally stacked jury panels according to geography, race, and political . Jury. Gov. Listen for the judge to give you instructions about when to come forward to discuss your need to be excused based on some hardship. The Government Code states that a person who fails to comply with this summons is subject to a contempt action punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 (62.0141). CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS. Fx: (979) 361-4215 However, if you are qualified to serve and you do not ask to be excused or exempted, you will be able to participate in the jury selection process which may take only a day or a fraction of a day to complete. Questions & Additional Information If you have any questions related to your juror summons or if you are unable to serve for a reason(s) other than exemptions, please call 979-849-2471 and speak to a clerk for information. 4 below. You need to contact the judge or the court to be exempted on this basis. My question is, why did it have to be so complicated? he said. This avoids a trial based upon secret evidence. Theres a tremendous amount of liability on the part of the county.. Be a resident of this state and a resident of the county in which you are to serve as a juror. The length of jury service will vary considerably for summoned jurors. Each juror receives ten dollars ($10) for the first day of appearance and forty dollars ($40) for the second and any subsequent days of appearance. Because jury duty involves some waiting, bring something to read to help you pass the time. Jury Services (979) 361-4224 300 East 26th Street, Suite 2214 Bryan, TX 77803 . Step 1: Dress inappropriate clothing: You should dress professionally and appropriately for jury duty. Though the court or the county may provide parking or reimburse parking costs, you might have to pay them initially. Juror's names are selected from current voter registration lists. The process begins as groups of prospective jurors, usually numbering fifty to sixty in district courts, are assembled in a courtroom with the judge, the lawyers, and usually the parties of a particular case. On Wednesday, Aug. 25, the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office announced it had received information that leads them to believe jury panels may have been assembled in a manner "inconsistent with applicable statutes and law.". ); Have legal custody of a child younger than 12 years of age and your service on the jury requires leaving the child without adequate supervision; Are a student of a public or private secondary school; Are a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an institution of higher education; Are an officer or an employee of the senate, house of representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of government; Have served as a petit juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date you are required to appear for this summons. Listen carefully and follow the instructions given by court personnel and the judge. But if she was aiming for a venire that reflected the countys population, she had a problem: Brazoria Countys population has become more diverse, changing from 51 percent non-white to 57 percent non-white in the years since 2015. Selleck, the district attorney, confirmed for the first time on Friday that Barchack sorted juror cards into the four categories Lewis described. Barchak, who resigned in late August after having held the post since 2010, divided up jurors by geographical region, and then by race, to assemble panels for criminal, civil, and family-law trials. Jury service is an important civic and community duty. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en consultant vos paramtres de vie prive. I am over 70 years of age. As a defense lawyer, I dont want twelve people from Pearland judging my guy from Freeport. any other program(s) approved by the commissioners court. "If it was something where these were truly, not-randomly-drawn perspective jurors, that could mean that every single jury that was put together, every panel for every defendant or plaintiff, whoever it may be, under the watch of this district clerk when it was done improperly, would probably, almost assuredly, would be entitled to a new trial," explained Steve Shellist, ABC13's legal analyst. Jury duty is a valuable service to the community and is an important responsibility since jurors determine a defendants guilt or innocence and, in the case of a guilty finding, assess fines. Jury duty is a civic responsibility that you do not get paid to attend. Code of Criminal Procedure,Articles 35.16 et. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. I desire to obtain a permanent exemption from jury service because I am over 70 years of age. What matters to him is that the law is followed, Green says. I am qualified to serve under the Constitution and laws to vote in this county. When you report for jury service, you should receive or request a form that allows you to direct the county treasurer to donate your reimbursement for jury service to a designated charity or fund which should include: Your employer is not required to pay you for any time that you missed from work due to jury service. If you have any questions related to your juror summons or if you are unable to serve for a reason(s) other than exemptions, please call 979-849-2471 and speak to a clerk for information. The process that she seems to have invented on her own was clearly not random. The law says that all individuals are competent jurors unless specifically disqualified. A juror may have special knowledge of matters such as business, technical or professional matters or he may have expert knowledge or opinions, or he may know what happened in this or some other lawsuit. (Texas Gov't Code 62.0141. ), (Texas Gov't Code 62.111. Are over 70 years of age (You may also request a permanent age 70 exemption. In the state of Texas, there are possible exemptions for full time students enrolled in a college institution, caregivers of children under ten . Also, try to keep an open mind about your jury service and remember that you are playing an essential role in our justice system. You can, however, claim payment if your earnings are in any way affected by your participation. Brazoria County district attorney Tom Selleck first acknowledged what he termed "irregularities" in an August 25 public statement, writing that "jury trial panels may have been assembled in . ANGLETON, Texas - The Texas Rangers Public Integrity Unit is now investigating an alleged corrupt jury selection process in Brazoria County that's been happening for more than a decade. Her attorney is maintaining her innocence. Brazoria County district attorney Tom Selleck first acknowledged what he termed irregularities in an August 25 public statement, writing that jury trial panels may have been assembled in a manner inconsistent with applicable statutes and law. Two days later, Selleck announced that he had asked the Texas Rangers Public Integrity Unit to investigate. County of Brazos 300 E 26th Street Bryan, TX 77803 Email the County of Brazos More contact info . At this point, we do not know how long these alleged irregularities may have been going on. Do not even discuss this case among yourselves until after you have heard all of the evidence, the court's charge, the attorneys' arguments and until I have sent you to the jury room to consider your verdict. Be of sound mind and good moral character. I am a resident of the City of Angleton for which the court is established. Your participation is important to Texas! They will have the same instructions and you will understand it when they do. Also, you may need money to pay for snacks, lunch, or pay phones. If you have questions about your jury summons or jury duty, please contact the appropriate court or judge as indicated on the jury summons. Complete Jury Orientation: Jury orientation is mandatory for all jurors prior to reporting for jury service. Jury Online Find your court. ); or. Its daily. He began hearing rumors about Barchaks system around the time of the DAs announcement in August. Some courthouses may have additional accommodations for you, such as internet access, lap to stations, and reading. A Grand Jury declined to indict a former Brazoria County District Clerk after she was accused of handpicking juries and the District attorney considers the case closed, but still it may not be over. The information contained on this web site is not intended to take the place of the instructions given by the judge or the court concerning any aspect of jury service. 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