brazoria county jury duty

Ph: (979) 361-4224. Texas has a statutory exemption that allows individuals over a certain age to request exemption from jury duty. I am of sound mind and good moral character. Penalties for Failure to Answer Summons. Jurors may donate their pay to a number of organizations that have been approved by the Brazoria County Commissioners Court. Hagger has reached out to Congressman Al Green, who confirmed to ABC13 he is working to learn more about the irregularities in the jury system in Brazoria County. However, the court may not excuse a juror for an economic reason unless each party of record is present and approves the release. Also, you should dress comfortably because you may be in the courthouse for the entire day. 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. Wear a suit or dress with a skirt. To be qualified to serve as a juror you must: *Note that the completion of deferred adjudication is not a disqualifying "conviction". 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 judge will give you an approximate time when you are assigned to a particular court. As a result, you need to follow all of the jury instructions given by the judge throughout the case very carefully. TikTok Is Banking On Project Texas to Avoid a U.S. Ban. A district court judge may permanently or temporarily exempt from jury service a person with a physical or mental impairment or with an inability to comprehend or communicate in the English language that makes it impossible or very difficult to serve on a jury. The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. Rhonda Barchak was the Brazoria County District Clerk for 11 years. http://www.brazoria-county.com/directory.asp, The Public Access to Court Records (PACER). While some counties choose to mail a questionnaire to prospective jurors to determine their eligibility prior to mailing the official jury summons, other counties mail the questionnaire and the jury summons together. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Listen carefully and follow the instructions given by court personnel and the judge. Also, you may need money to pay for snacks, lunch, or pay phones. Linda Coffee Argued Roe v. Wade. With your participation as a Texas juror, our constitutional right to an impartial jury is protected. 111 E. Locust, Suite 500 In order to qualify for this exemption, the property owner needs to meet the following requirements: Complete the application process.*. (. For those jurors who are selected to serve in a jury panel, the judge and the attorneys may be able to estimate how long that particular trial will last. You Already Served. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. An employer who terminates, threatens to terminate, penalizes, or threatens to penalize an employee because the employee performs jury duty is subject to sanctions for contempt of court and payment of damages to the employee. Do not tell other jurors your own personal experiences nor those of other persons, nor relate any special information. RELATED: Brazoria County District Clerk's Office under investigation over 'irregularities' in jury process, "They would sort them into four separate piles," Bauman said. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. Barchaks methods were widely known to county officials, Lewis said. $100 bond set for catalytic converter theft suspect's evading charge, Man on parole for murder charged in connection to Leslie Obi's killing, Oak pollen already a big problem, but strong storms could wash it away. For at least six years, the district clerk in Brazoria County used a highly unusual and possibly illegal system to assemble jury panels. Barchaks method, said Matagorda County district clerk Janice Hawthorne, takes away the whole random process., In additional to potentially violating state law, Barchaks system appears to differ from her own jury plan, which she submitted to the Brazoria County Commissioners Court for approval in 2018. He rejected Lewiss explanation that Barchak never received proper training and said her system likely violated state law. As a defense lawyer, I dont want twelve people from Pearland judging my guy from Freeport. Former Brazoria County District Clerk's jury pool selection process under scrutiny. BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Texas Rangers are being called in to investigate after the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office found out about potential "irregularities" in the district clerk's office, specifically regarding the jury assembly process. *Please call to verify. Their attempt was to increase the racial inclusiveness, Cogdell said, not decrease the racial inclusiveness., If courts find Barchaks method illegal or unconstitutional, thousands of criminal, civil, and family court verdicts could be subject to appeal, and the county may be open to civil liability. Court System Type: County Constitutional Court Division: Contact Information: Phone Number: 979-864-1200 Website: http://www.brazoria-county.com/directory.asp 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. You might also bring a light sweater or jacket in case the temperature in the courthouse is somewhat cold. the Texas Legislature outlawed the controversial key man method of grand jury selection, Inside the Karaoke Bar Where Texas Lawmakers Serenade Each Other, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. Mrs. Barchak remains grateful for the opportunity to have served her community. Meyers attorney, Dan Cogdell, wouldnt describe the system, but said it involved an attempt to ensure a more diverse venire. Bring money. You will need to be fair, impartial, and be willing to make decisions that are not based on your personal feelings and biases. Are over 70 years of age (You may also request a permanent age 70 exemption. Step 2: Maintain hygiene: You should make sure your hair is clean, your skin is clean, your teeth are brushed, and your fingernails are trimmed. 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.". However, the Commissioners Court of a county may choose to reduce or eliminate the daily compensation for prospective jurors who attend court for only one day without actually serving on a jury. Do not discuss or consider attorney's fees unless evidence about attorney's fees is admitted. Exemption from Jury Service). 3. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. YES! The City of Angleton Municipal Court is located in the rear of the City Hall Municipal Building on Hwy 288B (Velasco Street). All Rights Reserved. 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. "We have identified four families whose loved ones were tried by all white juries," said Quanell X. Angleton, TX 77515, Design By Granicus - Connecting People and Government. be a resident of this state and of the county in which you are to serve as a juror; be qualified under the Constitution and laws to vote in the county in which you are to serve as a juror (Note: You do not have to be registered to vote to be qualified to vote); be of sound mind and good moral character; 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; and. 300 East 26th Street. 979-388-1836 (Brazosport) The court has the discretion to hear any reasonable sworn excuse of a prospective juror and either release the juror from jury service or reschedule the juror's jury service for another day. . EMBED <> More Videos Jury Online Find your court. Those stacks would then be used to assemble the venires (panels from which juries are drawn) for the weeks trials. "Rhonda assumed the duties of the Brazoria County District Clerk on July 2, 2010. Its free. My address is _____. (Texas Gov't Code 62.0141. Now Shes Auctioning Off Her Archive. 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. State law mandates the process for selecting prospective jurors. If you would like to serve even though you are eligible for an exemption then we certainly appreciate your choosing to do so. Through service on a jury, a citizen has a direct hand in the administration of justice. Penalty for Defaulting Jurors.). Its not that hard.. While the lawyers are aware of your answers to the questionnaire that you filled out earlier, the lawyers and the judge may still ask you some of the same questions and some additional questions to ensure that you are indeed qualified to serve, and that you are indeed able to perform your civic duty in a fair and impartial manner. 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. Because you will need to consider all of the evidence admitted by the judge, it is important that you pay close attention to the evidence as it is presented at trial. Citizens on the list are randomly selected and mailed a summons to report for jury service. If a delay occurs while you are present for jury service, please try to be patient with the court staff. You might also contact the judge or the district clerk's office or check the local web page for additional information. 4 below. 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 . They have demonstrated a vision and a will toward the administration of justice that is a wellspring of inspiration. ), (Texas Gov't Code 62.111. To serve as a juror you must meet the following qualifications: For additional information about Juror exemptions please view the following document: - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Suite 2214. In the state of Texas, there are possible exemptions for full time students enrolled in a college institution, caregivers of children under ten . Though the court or the county may provide parking or reimburse parking costs, you might have to pay them initially. Do not seek information contained in law books, dictionaries, public or private records or elsewhere, which is not admitted in evidence. 111 E. Locust St. Brazoria County district clerk Rhonda Barchak sorted jurors by race and geography. 281-756-1836 (North County), District Clerk, Jury Services Sometimes the cards were shuffled, and sometimes they were organized according to the order in which the jurors arrived for duty. I am a resident of the City of Angleton for which the court is established. Do not accept from, nor give to, any of those persons any favors however slight, such as rides, food, or refreshments. Jurors may donate their pay to a number of organizations that have been approved by the Brazoria County Commissioners Court. the Texas Crime Victim's Compensation Fund, a designated local family violence shelter; or. Do not consider, discuss, nor speculate whether or not any party is or is not protected in whole or in part by insurance of any kind. The approved plan stipulated that the district clerk would randomly select panels of prospective jurors. Paula Hannaford, director of the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts in Virginia, said Barchak would likely have needed specific authorization to diverge from the standard randomization process. Her attorney is maintaining her innocence. "When that system has been corrupted, or affected in any way, my God, may God help everybody because that is what stands between a person potentially going to prison for life or getting the death penalty. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved. Nate Moore Sr., who served as deputy district clerk for sixteen years under Barchaks predecessor, said the county had no consistent system for selecting the venires. Solicitation Opportunities With Brazos County, National/State Veteran Cemetery Locations, Request Brazos County Birth, Death, and/or Marriage Certificate. 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. any other program(s) approved by the commissioners court. 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. Activist Quanell X, who has been public about his concerns for months, staging rallies and protests outside of the county courthouse, said he wants the department of justice involved. For more information about this topic, please refer to this website: www.BrazosCountyJury.com. 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. "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. However, you will probably be asked for a juror index number (or other number provided on the summons) and the service date (also on your summons). Before choosing to reschedule your service please understand that you are limited to just ONE change so please be sure that you choose your new appearance date carefully. Local judges may restrict certain attire, such as shorts, cutoff, sleeveless shirts, sandals, and hats. Its daily. I am over 70 years of age. As a full-time student, you can be exempted from jury duty if participating in them will make you miss a significant amount of classes. Juror's names are selected from current voter registration lists. Starkey and Meyers declined to speak about Barchaks system. Is any of the above incorrect? ", But, a grand jury chose not to indict her. Call your District Clerk's office. Most Lake Jackson cases are concluded the same day. Jury Duty. If you know of, or learn anything about, this case except from the evidence admitted during the course of this trial, you should tell me about it at once. Without having a very explicit statutory or court authorization for doing that, it strikes me as being legally problematic., Lewis said that Barchak began using the system around 2015, when the Texas Legislature outlawed the controversial key man method of grand jury selection, under which jury commissioners picked friends and colleagues to serve on grand juries, which determine whether there is enough evidence to file charges against someone. If you. If anyone attempts to discuss the case, report it to the judge at once. Under state law, jurors are supposed to be selected at random from the pool of those whove been called to jury duty. Do not make any investigation about the facts of this case. Houston Chronicle Reporter Anna Bauman read the report and explains how Barchak may have violated Texas law which states jury selection must be random. Both the Constitution of the United States and the Texas Constitution guarantee the right to a trial by jury. Unfortunately, prospective jurors who appear and participate in the jury selection process will spend a great deal of time waiting. Be a resident of this state and a resident of the county in which you are to serve as a juror. Brazoria County resident Linda Hagger believes her son, Brandon Williams, was wrongly convicted 11 years ago. This juror site provides basic juror information on preparing for jury service and what to expect while serving, how to complete your jury summons, frequently asked questions, and provides helpful information about the courthouse to which you have been summoned. 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. Said it involved an attempt to ensure a more diverse venire those stacks would then be to... Gt ; more Videos jury Online Find your court juror 's names are from... 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