Own the property in the year in which you apply. Texas has a statutory exemption that allows individuals over a certain age to request exemption from jury duty. In the event of any conflicts, the instructions and procedures given to you by the judge or the court should be followed. You need to contact the judge or the court to be excused on this basis. Former Brazoria County District Clerk's jury pool selection process under scrutiny. Lewis declined to provide the names of those employees. And then, white residents who (also) didn't live in Pearland, and nonwhite residents who (also) didn't live in Pearland. The law requires jurors be selected at random, said Selleck, also a Republican, and it is this process that is alleged to have been conducted improperly.. You dont need training to read the Code of Criminal Procedure, Sheppard said. "So they would have a stack of people who were white residents of Pearland, nonwhite residents of Pearland. Juror's names are selected from current voter registration lists. If you are unfamiliar with the courthouse and its surroundings you should carefully review the instructions that are included with summonses. 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. County of Brazos 300 E 26th Street Bryan, TX 77803 Email the County of Brazos More contact info . What matters to him is that the law is followed, Green says. The FBI says per Department of Justice policy . Its free. 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. This avoids a trial based upon secret evidence. 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. 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. Brazoria County is 43 percent white, 31 . 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. Her attorney is maintaining her innocence. 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. (Texas Government Code 62.102. HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002. ), (Texas Gov't Code 62.111. "There are cases, I believe, will have to be overturned because of purposed racial bias, on purpose, against those defendants.". To serve as a juror you must meet the following qualifications: Be a citizen of Texas and a resident of Brazoria County in which you are to serve as a juror ; Be able to read and write ; Be at least 18 years . Bring on the Shiplap? 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. To be qualified to serve as a juror you must: *Note that the completion of deferred adjudication is not a disqualifying "conviction". The community [stretches] from Pearland to Freeport, he said. Figuring out what to do when you have been summoned for jury duty can be confusing and frustrating. The Rangers report, made public in January, stated that Barchak confessed to 239th District Judge Patrick Sebesta that she separated jury cards into four categories: "Pearland white, Pearland non-white, non Pearland white, and non Pearland.". *Please call to verify. (The city, with a population of 122,000, is the conservative countys largest, accounting for one third of its population. Slectionnez Grer les paramtres pour grer vos prfrences. Next, Lewis said, Barchak would subdivide the two geographical piles into white and non-white jurors. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Its not that hard.. Allen, TX Arlington, TX Arlington, TX Test . The following day, the district clerk in question, retired. She always did everything possible to ensure juries in Brazoria County reflected a properly representative cross section of the community. Jury Online Find your court. The summons needs to be returned indicating that the person does not live at the address. The law says that all individuals are competent jurors unless specifically disqualified. EMBED <> More Videos To claim an exemption from jury service contact the court Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 979-849-2471. Searchable records from law enforcement. Through service on a jury, a citizen has a direct hand in the administration of justice. For more information visit Brazoria County District Clerk's jury info. You Already Served. "Rhonda assumed the duties of the Brazoria County District Clerk on July 2, 2010. Please write on the front or back of the summons Deceased and return to our office. As a result of her idiosyncratic system, thousands of verdicts could potentially be overturned, and the county could face an avalanche of lawsuits claiming wrongful convictions. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Do not make any investigation about the facts of this case. 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. To serve as a juror, you must meet the following specific qualifications: To claim an exemption from jury service contact the court Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 979-849-2471. Do not discuss or consider attorney's fees unless evidence about attorney's fees is admitted. You will need to check with your local courthouse regarding special amenities. For more information about this topic, please refer to this website: www.BrazosCountyJury.com. There are parents out there who had their rights terminated, Purvis said. But when the selected jurors in Brazoria arrived for dutyusually on Monday mornings at the county courthouse in AngletonBarchaks method of dividing them up for trials diverged sharply from the systems used by other Texas district clerks, who typically draw cardsrandomly from a stack or use technology to automate a random selection. He began hearing rumors about Barchaks system around the time of the DAs announcement in August. (Texas Gov't Code 62.0141. If you. She left the job after law enforcement began investigating the possibility that she wrongly empaneled jury pools. Theres a large cultural difference between Pearland and Freeporta small rural townalthough theyre in the same county.. Be qualified under the Constitution and laws to vote in this county in which you are to serve as a juror. Gabriel Garcia Brazos County District Clerk 300 E. 26th Street, Suite 1200 If you have any doubts as to your eligibility to serve on a jury, contact the judge or court as indicated on your jury summons. 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. 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. Mrs. Barchak remains grateful for the opportunity to have served her community. The Brazoria County Courthouseis open on M-F from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. 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. *county-courthouse.com is not affiliated with the Official US Government, or any state, local, or federal office. You can also expect to receive a brief orientation in the courtroom or in the jury assembly room regarding jury service. Local judges may restrict certain attire, such as shorts, cutoff, sleeveless shirts, sandals, and hats. Get Out of Jury Duty for Not Being Qualified. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. (979) 864-1836. 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. Also, you should dress comfortably because you may be in the courthouse for the entire day. You must follow the instructions on your jury summons or contact the judge to find out what you need to do to be exempted from jury service. 111 E Locust, Rm 102A, Angleton, TX77515-4678 . You are not required to claim an exemption from jury service. The process that she seems to have invented on her own was clearly not random. "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. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. On the morning of July 19, several hundred Brazoria County residents appeared for jury duty in downtown Angleton, a fifty-minute drive south of Houston. All Rights Reserved. For at least six years, the district clerk in Brazoria County used a highly unusual and possibly illegal system to assemble jury panels. Read full article. I have not been convicted of theft or any felony. Do not accept from, nor give to, any of those persons any favors however slight, such as rides, food, or refreshments. Your participation is important to Texas! 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 . ); 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. To tell the other jurors any of this information is a violation of these instructions. Physical and mailing address is 111 E. Locust St., Ste. To be qualified to serve on a jury, the person must: After all challenges are utilized, a jury with one to four alternates is impaneled to hear the evidence in the case. Listen carefully and follow the instructions given by court personnel and the judge. Bowie County Jury Trial Plan: 11: Brazoria: Brazoria County Recertification: Brazoria County: Brazoria County Jury Trial Plan: 02: Brazos: Brazos County Recertification: Brazos County: Brazos County Jury Trial Plan: 06: Brewster Brewster County: Brewster County Jury Trial Plan: 09: Briscoe Briscoe County 05: Brooks Brooks County 07: Brown Brown . Jury duty is a civic responsibility that you do not get paid to attend. Texas does not specify the randomization method that clerks must use, he said, so Barchaks system was fairer than simply shuffling the cards. Your attire should show respect for the court. They have demonstrated a vision and a will toward the administration of justice that is a wellspring of inspiration. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en consultant vos paramtres de vie prive. CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS. page at bit.ly/33kzxFb. As in all Texas counties, eligible Brazoria residents are summoned to jury duty at random, based on an electronic list provided by the Texas Secretary of State. 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. Investigation underway into jury assembly process in Brazoria County. RELATED: Families want answers in Brazoria County jury selection: 'This is ridiculous'. Citizens over the age of 70 can be exempt from jury service under this age exception.. A juror's greatest reward is the knowledge that they have discharged this duty faithfully, honorably, and well. ~ 2 years, 0 mos ago Jan 18, '21 2:03pm. Each online system is different. You need to contact the judge or the court to be exempted on this basis. Brazoria County District Courts DO Postpone Jury Dates. 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. Also, try to keep an open mind about your jury service and remember that you are playing an essential role in our justice system. Penalties for Failure to Answer Summons. The process by which Barchak assembled the final stack is unclear. files a false claim of exemption from jury service. The district clerks of nearby Wharton, Montgomery, and Matagorda counties said they had never heard of anyone using Barchaks method. If you receive a call about missing jury duty, please call the Brazoria County District Clerk's Office phone number at 979-864-1836 and the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office at 979-864-1230. According to the Brazoria County website, the clerk in question was elected in 2010. 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). 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. 500, Angleton, TX 77515. Type "postpone jury duty" and then your county. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Ph: (979) 361-4224. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Is any of the above incorrect? Full-Time Student. 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. Barchaks methods were widely known to county officials, Lewis said. Starkey and Meyers declined to speak about Barchaks system. Please note: Jurors aid in the maintenance of law and order and uphold justice among their fellow citizens. Williams is serving life for a murder, which Hagger believes he did not commit, and thinks an improper jury played a role in his conviction. Lewis said Barchak knew nothing about the trials for which jurors were being selected. With your participation as a Texas juror, our constitutional right to an impartial jury is protected. Those stacks would then be used to assemble the venires (panels from which juries are drawn) for the weeks trials. Simply follow the I-Jury information enclosed with the juror summons you received. The DA's office has received information that leads them to believe jury panels may have been assembled improperly. To be qualified to serve as a juror you must: Jurors are paid for their service. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Wendy Davis Returns to the Texas Capitol and a Whole New Political Landscape, Red McCombs Turned Old San Antonio on Its Head, Attorney General Ken Paxton Agrees to Apologize and Pay $3.3 Million to Whistleblowers, Running Into Fire: The Legacy of Jeff Blackburn, Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. "I knew from the get-go when I heard about what was going on that something wasn't right pertaining to my son's case," Hagger said. Website: http://www.brazoria-county.com/directory.asp, Staff: Senior Administrator - Alice Logsdon. Jury. However the law states that an employer can not terminate your employment for attending jury service. Brazoria County District Clerk's Office under investigation over 'irregularities' in jury process, FBI joins investigation into Brazoria County selection case, activist says, Families want answers in Brazoria County jury selection: 'This is ridiculous', Families want feds to look into Brazoria Co. jury process: 'The truth is always going to come out'. Take advantage of any free parking offered to prospective jurors. ", RELATED: FBI joins investigation into Brazoria County selection case, activist says, Barchak's attorney sent a statement to ABC13 which read, "We would like to thank the Brazoria County D.A. Jury registration is a simple process that can be completed: Online through the My Jury Duty Portal found here; On the telephone by calling (213) 972-0970 and selecting the "Registration" option from the menu. Rhonda Barchak was the Brazoria County District Clerk for 11 years. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. 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. Search Courts. Lawyers then conduct what is called voir dire (which means to speak the truth), which allows the lawyers and the judge to have the opportunity to ask each prospective juror a series of questions. Wear shoes that are suitable for the court. 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. "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. These allegations about a corrupt process first surfaced in late August. As a juror, you are in a position of responsibility. 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. Wear a suit or dress with a skirt. The grand jury's decision not to . Now Shes Auctioning Off Her Archive. 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. Linda Coffee Argued Roe v. Wade. It was a good system. BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A grand jury declined to indict a former Brazoria County District clerk after she was accused of handpicking jurors. Texas Monthly contacted 38 current and former district court employees to try to confirm Lewiss description of Barchaks system; all either failed to respond or declined to comment. , you are in a position of responsibility visit Brazoria County judge Matt Sebesta, declined requests an! The courtroom or in the courtroom or in the event of any conflicts, the Clerk... An impartial jury is protected return to our office current voter registration lists them to believe jury panels Pearland nonwhite... 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