Comments on: Jury Duty Next Tuesday

By: weddings

weddings — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:16:57 +0000

Glad I found this site, I’ve been searching for something like this for awhile now.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 03:16:49 +0000

Thanks for all the info, guys. Perhaps I will make use of the DART as you suggested, Mike — at least that way I can put my meager pay towards lunch or something halfway useful. (And that Italian place does look tempting.)

By: amanda

amanda — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 04:29:36 +0000

There’s a decent italian place a few block away that is decent and you can walk there for lunch. (I think this is it.)

By: Michael Garrett

Michael Garrett — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 00:08:24 +0000

Alex, since you live near the DART light rail, I recommend using the free bus pass that came with your summons. The light rail drops off about 3 blocks from the courthouse, (I forget which station, See DART’s Trip Planning site for planning info) and you can either walk the last 3 blocks or catch the next bus which stops right in front of the Crowley Building. That way, you won’t have to pay for parking, and you will probably get there faster than driving.
As for lunch, they have a decent if a bit bland cafeteria in the basement. It has a wide variety of foods, pizza, hamburgers, soups, fruits and veggies, sandwiches, and more.
Oh, one last thing - don’t bring a pocketknife. No matter how small, they will confiscate it. [8-(

By: MikeC

MikeC — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:01:56 +0000

I have been called for jury duty twice and selected for juries twice - in the Dallas County court system. Batting 1.000 so far!

What you can expect: Lots of waiting. You get there and check in, then wait in the main jury room until your number (or the range your number is in) gets called. You proceed to that courtroom where you continue to wait in the hallway. If you’re lucky, the balif will come out and announce a settlement/plea bargain (civil vs. criminal) and you can leave. If you are not so lucky, he will call everyone individually by name and you proceed into the courtroom in that EXACT order (man, they get uptight about that) and sit there while the attorneys for each site ping the crowd with questions. You then go back outside and wait. If this nears lunch time, you will be sent to lunch and told when to return. Upon returning, you will again wait for some period of time (where a settlement/plea bargain may yet be announced). Then you are called back into the courtroom. If luck failed you at step 1, hopefully it will be with you on step two, where they DON’T call your name. Then you get to leave. If they call your name, you proceed to the jury box, and as soon as the 12 are called and the others leave, the judge gavels court into session, you’re sworn in, and away you go!

In most cases, you will be done by lunch. In my case (both of them) I got on juries for trials that lasted 1 week. Felonies. Attempted capital murder of a child under the age of 6 months, and (forgot precise legal name) sex with a minor under the age of 12. 2 years apart. My last one was in 9/03, so most likely this fall I’ll get called again. WOOHOO!

As for the questionaire, that is used by the attorneys on each side as they try to decide who to use their “drops” on from the jury pool.

You get a meager amount of pay each day, but that will basically cover your fees for the parking garage if you don’t leave for lunch.

Have fun! ;-)