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. I am not under indictment or other legal accusation of a misdemeanor theft, felony theft or any other felony charge. 111 E. Locust St. Brazoria County, TX Mugshots, Arrests, charges, current and former inmates. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. "What is important about this whole thing is that juries and jury selection is the bedrock of our justice system," said Shellist. page at bit.ly/33kzxFb. Multiple judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and dozens of other county employees were privy to the process of jury empanelment, he said, and no one ever expressed any dissatisfaction or complaint about the process, as the process did not disenfranchise [any] potential jurors. Top officials, including Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta, declined requests for an interview. The district clerks of nearby Wharton, Montgomery, and Matagorda counties said they had never heard of anyone using Barchaks method. For at least six years, the district clerk in Brazoria County used a highly unusual and possibly illegal system to assemble jury panels. As a juror, you are in a position of responsibility. The process shes doing gives the jury a better chance of being a cross section, which is what were supposed to do with a jury pool, Lewis said. 53. The district attorney considers the matter closed and that "currently, based on the investigation (by the Texas Rangers) there are no cases or convictions being reviewed. . ** There is no need to make an appearance if you are scheduled to appear as a prospective juror on September 15, 2022. After all challenges are utilized, a jury with one to four alternates is impaneled to hear the evidence in the case. Texas does not specify the randomization method that clerks must use, he said, so Barchaks system was fairer than simply shuffling the cards. 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. The community [stretches] from Pearland to Freeport, he said. Exemption from Jury Service). This discussion has been locked. JURY SERVICE. Because you may serve on a jury the first day you report to serve, you should wear clothing reasonably befitting the dignity and solemnity of the court proceedings. Penalty for Defaulting Jurors.). You might also bring a light sweater or jacket in case the temperature in the courthouse is somewhat cold. Houston Chronicle Reporter Anna Bauman read the report and explains how Barchak may have violated Texas law which states jury selection must be random. You do not need any special skills or legal knowledge to be a juror! -See JURY SERVICE - Tex. 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. Jury duty is a civic responsibility that you do not get paid to attend. Receiving a summons for jury duty does not mean that you will actually serve on a jury. Unfortunately there are no business/self-employment exemptions administered by the state legislature at this time. "We have identified four families whose loved ones were tried by all white juries," said Quanell X. 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. 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. Be aware that you will likely be asked to shut off pagers and cellular phones before entering the jury room or courtroom. Angleton, TX 77515, Design By Granicus - Connecting People and Government. You will not be asked, and you should not consider, whether one party or the other should win. Selleck, the district attorney, confirmed for the first time on Friday that Barchack sorted juror cards into the four categories Lewis described. Unfortunately your employer is not currently required by Texas state law to pay you while you are serving jury duty. I am over 70 years of age. You dont need training to read the Code of Criminal Procedure, Sheppard said. For updates on this story, follow Tom Abrahams on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Lewis declined to provide the names of those employees. "There are cases, I believe, will have to be overturned because of purposed racial bias, on purpose, against those defendants.". As a result, you need to follow all of the jury instructions given by the judge throughout the case very carefully. 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.". Why did I receive a summons and what do I do now? This avoids a trial based upon secret evidence. Occupy the property as your primary residence in the year in which you apply. EMBED <> More Videos 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. Bryan, TX 77803. ); Have been summoned for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and you have served as a petit juror in the county during the three year period preceding the date you are to appear for jury service. At some point during the jury selection process, prospective jurors are given an oath by which they swear or affirm to tell the truth when answering questions about their qualifications as jurors. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. RELATED: Brazoria County District Clerk's Office under investigation over 'irregularities' in jury process, "They would sort them into four separate piles," Bauman said. Her attorney is maintaining her innocence. 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. In the event of any conflicts, the instructions and procedures given to you by the judge or the court should be followed. Mrs. Barchak remains grateful for the opportunity to have served her community. Bring money. You then might be asked to provide new dates when you can serve. All Rights Reserved. Both the Constitution of the United States and the Texas Constitution guarantee the right to a trial by jury. Solicitation Opportunities With Brazos County, National/State Veteran Cemetery Locations, Request Brazos County Birth, Death, and/or Marriage Certificate. 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. (Supreme Court Rule of Civil Procedure 226a). 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.". Starkey and Meyers declined to speak about Barchaks system. The judge will instruct you to adhere to the following basic rules: At the conclusion of all the evidence, the judge may give you a written charge that asks you some specific questions. ", But, a grand jury chose not to indict her. Get Out of Jury Duty for Not Being Qualified. 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. Official Court proceedings are held at the City Hall Municipal Building in the Municipal Courtroom\City Council Chambers. I have not been convicted of theft or any felony. Brazoria County District Courts DO Postpone Jury Dates, 979-864-1836 (Central & West) It was a good system. Hale County, TX Hermiston, OR Hill County, TX Lake Oswego, OR McKinney, TX . A prospective juror must be released entirely or rescheduled if the juror is required to appear in court on a religious holy day that is observed by the juror. County of Brazos 300 E 26th Street Bryan, TX 77803 Email the County of Brazos More contact info . However, you may choose to be excused if you: (Texas Government Code 62.106. 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. Through service on a jury, a citizen has a direct hand in the administration of justice. 1400 LUBBOCK, ROOM 214. 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). Both you and other prospective jurors who report for jury service will be given an opportunity to voluntarily donate your juror pay to certain local or state charitable causes. Also, you should dress comfortably because you may be in the courthouse for the entire day. For more information about this topic, please refer to this website: www.BrazosCountyJury.com. Entering the courthouse with a prohibited weapon is against the law. If anyone attempts to discuss the case, report it to the judge at once. Brazoria County District Courts DO Postpone Jury Dates. As ABC13 works to learn more about the nature of the alleged "irregularities," another question remaining has to do with what this could mean for the people tried by juries who may have been assembled improperly. . Do not seek information contained in law books, dictionaries, public or private records or elsewhere, which is not admitted in evidence. "I kept telling my son, 'I am not stopping until I come to some kind of conclusions on who did what,'" Hagger said. Most Lake Jackson cases are concluded the same day. You will need to be fair, impartial, and be willing to make decisions that are not based on your personal feelings and biases. Lewis said Barchak knew nothing about the trials for which jurors were being selected. 1,870 talking about this. *Not location specific. 979-388-1836 (Brazosport) The Brazoria County District Attorney's Office has received information that leads them to believe jury panels may have been assembled in a manner "inconsistent with applicable statutes and law.". RELATED: Families want feds to look into Brazoria Co. jury process: 'The truth is always going to come out'. Brazoria County, Phone Number: 979-864-1200 ); Are the primary caretaker of a person who is unable to care for himself or herself (This exemption does not apply to health care workers. If you. "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. Judicial Committee on Information Technology, Task Force on Judicial Emergency Preparedness, Texas Commission to Expand Civil Legal Services, Timothy Cole Exoneration Review Commission, Guardianship Abuse, Fraud and Exploitation Deterrence Program (GAFEDP), Pretrial Risk Assessment Information System for Texas, Texas Records and Information Locator (TRAIL). "I'm putting my faith in the Department of Justice to come back with their conclusion in what they're discovering and finding in a jury tampering system and what took place in Brazoria County, Texas," Quanell told ABC13. But What Is It? Civil rights activists, who have protested several times in front of the Brazoria County courthouse, allege that Barchak was rigging juries to put non-white defendants at a disadvantage. Barchaks methods were widely known to county officials, Lewis said. To be qualified to serve on a jury, the person must: Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresseIP, Navigation et recherche lors de lutilisation des sites Web et applications Yahoo. This exemption is available to those homeowners who are 65 years of age or older. Each online system is different. Be a resident of this state and a resident of the county in which you are to serve as a juror. You need to contact the judge or the court to be exempted on this basis. He began hearing rumors about Barchaks system around the time of the DAs announcement in August. 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. Occasionally, we have a juror who privately seeks out information about a case on trial. 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. My question is, why did it have to be so complicated? he said. 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 . I desire to obtain a permanent exemption from jury service because I am over 70 years of age. Citizens on the list are randomly selected and mailed a summons to report for jury service. You are not required to claim an exemption from jury service. Anything considered to be a weapon or that is deemed unacceptable by the security staff will be confiscated. State law mandates the process for selecting prospective jurors. YES! 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 Court entry and parking lot face Chenango Street. by: Magnolia832 4 OP. *Please call to verify. 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. Be of sound mind and good moral character. 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 . 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. Is any of the above incorrect? Jurors may donate their pay to a number of organizations that have been approved by the Brazoria County Commissioners Court. 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. The summons needs to be returned indicating that the person does not live at the address. You can also expect to receive a brief orientation in the courtroom or in the jury assembly room regarding jury service. When you report for jury service, you will likely find that there are well-trained court personnel available to assist you and to answer any questions that you may have concerning jury duty. Prospective jurors in the state of Texas who are over 70 years of age may claim excusal from jury service, or request a permanent age 70 exemption from any further summons or service. Jurors are paid for their service. Unfortunately, prospective jurors who appear and participate in the jury selection process will spend a great deal of time waiting. To tell the other jurors any of this information is a violation of these instructions. I believe thats generally the case, he said. August 27, 2021, 9:30 PM. TikTok Is Banking On Project Texas to Avoid a U.S. Ban. Visit our Links Page for websites providing Employment Listings, as well as US Government holiday closings. Read full article. At this point, we do not know how long these alleged irregularities may have been going on. Also, you might want to avoid parking in metered parking spaces because you do not know how long you will be in jury service. http://www.brazoria-county.com/directory.asp, The Public Access to Court Records (PACER). The reason she divided the cards into four categories, he said, was to ensure a representative distribution of potential jurors. At this time the only type of employment that may claim an exemption from jury duty is exemption No. The Brazoria County District Attorney's Office has received information that leads them to believe jury panels may have been assembled in a manner "inconsistent with applicable statutes and law." ); or. 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. (979) 864-1836. The former district clerk in question has now retired. 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. ATTENTION JURORS: Be sure that you know where you are supposed to report. Website: http://www.brazoria-county.com/directory.asp, Staff: Senior Administrator - Alice Logsdon. Please write on the front or back of the summons Active duty military and return to our office. 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. Jury service is an important civic and community duty. Wear a suit or dress with a skirt. As in most small Texas counties, where juror cards are still usedsome larger counties have switched to electronic systems, which generate randomized veniresall the cards are typically either shuffled in one big stack or mixed up on a table to create a stack. Except for specially called jury panels (which are very rare) Brazoria County allows every juror one postponement for any reason at all in order for everyone to have the opportunity to pick a date better suited for their individual schedule. To be qualified to serve as a juror you must: Jurors are paid for their service. seq.). 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. Receive a brief orientation in the administration of justice to be excused if you: ( Government. 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