Title GV, Government Code

Sec. 62.005. OBSERVATION OF DRAWING OF NAMES. (a) On written application of a party in a case that is pending on the docket of a justice, county, or district court for which a jury is required, the party or his authorized representative may be present and observe the drawing of t…

Sec. 62.006. CERTIFICATION OF JURY LISTS. (a) The county or district clerk or the clerk's deputy who draws the names of prospective jurors and the judge in whose presence the names were drawn for placement on jury lists shall certify the jury lists to be the lists drawn for that …

Sec. 62.007. ENVELOPES CONTAINING JURY LISTS; OATH. (a) The justice of the peace or the county or district judge receiving an envelope containing a jury list shall inspect the envelope for proper endorsement. (b) The judge shall return the envelope to the county or district clerk…

Sec. 62.008. ENVELOPES CONTAINING JURY WHEEL CARDS. (a) At the time that names are drawn for jury service and placed on a jury list, the jury wheel cards containing the names on the jury list shall be sealed in a separate envelope that is endorsed, "Cards containing the names of …

Sec. 62.009. REUSE OF JURY WHEEL CARDS. (a) After jurors are impaneled and serve at least four days, the clerk or his deputy shall open the envelope containing the jury wheel cards with names that correspond to those on a jury list from which the impaneled jurors were selected fo…

Sec. 62.010. REFILLING OR REPLACEMENT OF JURY WHEEL. (a) If all the jury wheel cards have been drawn from the jury wheel, jury wheel cards shall immediately be returned to the jury wheel. (b) If the jury wheel and its contents are lost or destroyed, the jury wheel shall immediate…

Sec. 62.011. ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL METHOD OF SELECTION. (a) On the recommendation of a majority of the district and criminal district judges of a county, the commissioners court, by order entered in its minutes, may adopt a plan for the selection of names of persons for jury s…

Sec. 62.0111. COMPUTER OR TELEPHONE RESPONSE TO SUMMONS. (a) A plan authorized under Section 62.011 for the selection of names of prospective jurors may allow for a prospective juror to appear in response to a summons by: (1) contacting the county officer responsible for summonin…

Sec. 62.012. USE OF JURY LISTS. (a) When a justice of the peace or a county or district judge requires a jury for a particular week, the judge, within a reasonable time before the prospective jurors are summoned, shall notify the county clerk, for a county court jury, or the dist…

Sec. 62.0125. SUMMONS FOR JURY SERVICE ON GENERAL ELECTION DAY PROHIBITED. Prospective jurors may not be summoned to appear for jury service on the date of the general election for state and county officers. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 398, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Sec. 62.013. SUMMONS FOR JURY SERVICE BY CLERK, SHERIFF, OR CONSTABLE. (a) Except as provided by Section 62.014, the clerk, sheriff, or constable, on receipt of a jury list from a county or district clerk, shall immediately notify the persons whose names are on the list to appear…

Sec. 62.0131. FORM OF WRITTEN JURY SUMMONS. (a) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall develop and maintain a model for a uniform written jury summons in this state. (b) The model must include: (1) the option to provide: (A) the exemptions and restr…

Sec. 62.0132. JUROR QUESTIONNAIRE. (a) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall develop and maintain a questionnaire to accompany a written jury summons. (b) Repealed by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 861 (H.B. 3474), Sec. 8.027, eff. September 1, 20…

Sec. 62.014. SUMMONS FOR JURY SERVICE BY CLERKS, SHERIFFS, OR BAILIFFS. (a) A district judge may direct that prospective jurors be summoned for jury service by the clerk, the sheriff, or a bailiff, or an assistant or deputy bailiff, in charge of the central jury room and the gene…

Sec. 62.0141. FAILURE TO ANSWER JURY SUMMONS. In addition to any criminal penalty prescribed by law, a person summoned for jury service who does not comply with the summons as required by law or who knowingly provides false information in a request for an exemption or to be excus…

Sec. 62.0142. NOTICE ON WRITTEN SUMMONS. If a written summons for jury duty allows a person to claim a disqualification or exemption by signing a statement and returning it to the clerk of the court, the form must notify the person that by claiming a disqualification or exemption…

Sec. 62.0143. POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE. (a) A person summoned for jury service may request a postponement of the person's initial appearance for jury service. The person may request the postponement by contacting the clerk of the court in person, in writing, or by telephone b…

Sec. 62.0144. POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a county: (1) with a population of 1.4 million or more; and (2) that has within its boundaries at least two municipalities that each have a population of 300,000 or more. (b) A person…

Sec. 62.0145. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN PERSONS FROM POOL OF PROSPECTIVE JURORS. Except as provided by Section 62.0146, if a written summons for jury service sent by a clerk, sheriff, constable, or bailiff is undeliverable, the county or district clerk may remove from the jury wheel the…

Sec. 62.0146. UPDATING ADDRESSES OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN POOL OF PROSPECTIVE JURORS. If a written summons for jury service sent by a clerk, sheriff, constable, or bailiff is returned with a notation from the United States Postal Service of a change of address for the person summone…

Sec. 62.0147. MEANS OF POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a county that has: (1) a council of judges composed of the judges of the district courts and county courts at law; and (2) a designated jury duty court that addresses adminis…

Sec. 62.015. SELECTION OF JURY PANEL. (a) On the day that jurors appear for jury service in a justice, county, or district court, the judge, if jury trials have been set, shall select from the names on the jury lists a sufficient number of qualified jurors to serve on the jury pa…

Sec. 62.016. INTERCHANGEABLE JURIES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) In each county with at least three district or criminal district courts, the district judges shall meet and determine the approximate number of prospective jurors that are reasonably necessary for each week of the year …

Sec. 62.017. INTERCHANGEABLE JURORS IN CERTAIN OTHER COUNTIES. (a) In a county with two district courts, the judges of the two courts may meet at a time fixed by them and determine the approximate number of prospective jurors that are reasonably necessary for each week of the yea…

Sec. 62.0175. INTERCHANGEABLE JURORS IN COUNTIES WITH A SINGLE DISTRICT COURT AND A SINGLE COUNTY COURT AT LAW WITH CONCURRENT JURISDICTION. (a) In a county with only one district court and only one county court at law that has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in a…

Sec. 62.018. QUARTERS FOR GENERAL PANELS. (a) The commissioners court of a county that uses an interchangeable general jury panel shall provide a comfortable place in or near the county courthouse for the use and convenience of the persons on the panel. (b) The persons on the pan…

Sec. 62.019. BAILIFFS FOR GENERAL PANELS. (a) Except as provided by this section, the sheriff of a county that uses an interchangeable general jury panel shall assign one of his deputies to take care of the persons on the panel, provide for their wants, and call them as their ser…

Sec. 62.020. ALTERNATE JURORS. (a) In district court, the judge may direct that not more than four jurors in addition to the regular jury be called and impaneled to sit as alternate jurors. (b) In county court, the judge may direct that not more than two jurors in addition to the…

Sec. 62.021. DISMISSAL OF JUROR REMOVED FROM PANEL. In a county with a population of 2.5 million or more, a prospective juror removed from a jury panel for cause, by peremptory challenge or for any other reason, must be dismissed from jury service. After dismissal, the person may…

Sec. 62.101. JURY SERVICE. All individuals are competent petit jurors unless disqualified under this subchapter and are liable for jury service except as otherwise provided by this subchapter. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.

Sec. 62.102. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR JURY SERVICE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person is disqualified to serve as a petit juror unless the person: (1) is at least 18 years of age; (2) is a citizen of the United States; (3) is a resident of this state and of the…

Sec. 62.103. SUSPENSION OF GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS. (a) A court may suspend the qualification for jury service that requires a person to be able to read and write if it appears to the court that the requisite number of jurors able to read and write cannot be found in the county. (…

Sec. 62.1031. FAILURE TO REGISTER TO VOTE. Failure to register to vote does not disqualify a person from jury service. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 132, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.

Sec. 62.104. DISQUALIFICATION FOR LEGAL BLINDNESS. (a) A person who is legally blind is not disqualified to serve as a juror in a civil case solely because of his legal blindness except as provided by this section. (b) A legally blind person is disqualified to serve as a juror in…

Sec. 62.1041. DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING JUROR. (a) A deaf or hard of hearing person is not disqualified to serve as a juror solely because of hearing loss except as provided by this section. (b) A deaf or hard of hearing person is disqualified to serve as a juror if, in the opinion…

Sec. 62.105. DISQUALIFICATION FOR PARTICULAR JURY. A person is disqualified to serve as a petit juror in a particular case if he: (1) is a witness in the case; (2) is interested, directly or indirectly, in the subject matter of the case; (3) is related by consanguinity or affinit…

Sec. 62.106. EXEMPTION FROM JURY SERVICE. (a) A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may establish an exemption from jury service if the person: (1) is 75 years of age or older; (2) has legal custody of a child younger than 12 years of age and the person's service on the ju…

Sec. 62.107. PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING EXEMPTIONS. (a) A person who is notified to appear for jury service may establish an exemption from the service under Section 62.106 without appearing in person by filing a signed statement of the ground of his exemption with the clerk of …

Sec. 62.108. PERMANENT EXEMPTION FOR ELDERLY. (a) A person who is entitled to exemption from jury service because the person is 75 years of age or older may establish a permanent exemption on that ground as provided by this section or Section 62.107. (b) A person may claim a perm…

Sec. 62.109. EXEMPTION FOR PHYSICAL OR MENTAL IMPAIRMENT OR INABILITY TO COMPREHEND ENGLISH. (a) The judge of a district court or, if authorized by the local administrative district judge or the county jury plan, the district clerk may permanently or for a specified period exempt…

Sec. 62.110. JUDICIAL EXCUSE OF JUROR. (a) Except as provided by this section, a court may hear any reasonable sworn excuse of a prospective juror, including any claim of an exemption or a lack of qualification, and if the excuse is considered sufficient shall release him from ju…

Sec. 62.111. PENALTY FOR DEFAULTING JURORS. A juror lawfully notified shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 if the juror: (1) fails to attend court in obedience to the notice without reasonable excuse; or (2) files a false claim of exemption from jury service. Acts…

Sec. 62.112. EXCUSE OF JUROR FOR RELIGIOUS HOLY DAY. (a) In this section: (1) "Religious organization" means an organization that meets the standards for qualification as a religious organization under Section 11.20, Tax Code. (2) "Religious holy day" means a day on which the ten…

Sec. 62.113. COMPILATION OF LIST OF NONCITIZENS. (a) The clerk of the court shall maintain a list of the name and address of each person who is disqualified under this subchapter from jury service because the person is not a citizen of the United States. (b) On the third business…

Sec. 62.114. COMPILATION OF LIST OF NONRESIDENTS. (a) The clerk of the court shall maintain a list containing the name and address of each person who is disqualified under this subchapter from jury service because the person is not a resident of the county. (b) On the third busin…

Sec. 62.115. COMPILATION OF LIST OF CONVICTED PERSONS. (a) The clerk of the court shall maintain a list of the name and address of each person who is disqualified under this subchapter from jury service because the person was convicted of misdemeanor theft or a felony. (b) A pers…