"Ask the Judge" column continues in La Prensa of SA, 7-1

Ask the Judge: When you get a jury summons
By Judge Steve Walker

Imagine your surprise when you open up your mail box and discover an envelope with the return address that reads Amelia Cardona-Flores, Central Jury Room, 300 Dolorosa # 820, SATX 78205, “Jury Summons.”

After you open the envelope and look at the summons you notice the bold letters: Greetings, followed by “You are hereby notified to appear before the Honorable District Judge so & so @ 8 a.m. Monday, July 2^nd. Then and there to be qualified to serve as petit juror in several District and County Courts of Bexar County. And it goes on.

Of course you may get your summons and it directs you to Justice of the Peace Court Pct. 2 on a particular Friday since we only hold jury trials on Fridays. The same applies for the other three Justice of the Peace Courts as well on their designated days for jury trials.

The Central Jury Room assigns various potential jurors to all the different courts for trial including JP Courts. Each court requests jurors when trials have been scheduled in their court. When potential jury members are called they are arbitrarily assigned the various courts.

When those would be jurors are designated for JP Pct. 2 we are assigned up to 35 potential jurors. Downtown, the number can surpass over 70 possible jurors. Numerous jury trials are conducted every day in the County & District Courts while not so much in JP Court.

The advantage of receiving a summons for JP Pct. 2 rather than downtown is our trials only last one day or even a partial day. We also utilize only 6 jurors for each case whereas downtown the juries consist of 12 jurors.

While trials may last for day and even weeks, downtown, our trials are completed by the end of the day. District Courts deal with Class B & A offenses whereas JP Courts only deal with Class C Misdemeanors.

Many ask the question, “who qualifies to serve on a jury?” For years the jury pool was pulled from the voter registration rolls. No so any more.

You have to be 18 years old with a valid driver’s license and no record of a felony. When some potential jurors come in they present documentation of medical conditions, advanced age, young children they must tend to, and other extenuating circumstances. In most of those cases they are dismissed from duty.

People from all walks of life regardless of their skin color, religion or title are summoned to jury duty. Jurors are always reminded it is their civic duty. Failure to appear could end in a citation for contempt.

No one is exempt just because of their occupation. Lawyers, even Judges, Police Officers etc. must appear to present documentation or extenuating circumstances that allows them to be dismissed from jury duty.

For the record, as a Judge I have been summoned to jury duty downtown tomorrow morning (July 2^nd) at 8 a. m. @ the Central Jury Room. I will be there. Whether I will be selected as a juror or not selected, I am mandated to appear for jury duty. Like everyone else I will find out when I get there.

Lastly as always, if you are due in court, be sure to show up to court on time. It is in everyone’s best interest.

Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Journalist. This is the 70th consecutive Sunday "Ask the Judge" has been published in La Prensa.