Western District of Texas

INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL JURY SERVICE

Welcome to jury duty for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. This information will assist you in answering initial questions you may have about jury duty. When you report for jury duty you will receive instructions that explain your duties and obligations as a juror.

LOCATION: The United States Courthouse is located at 511 E. San Antonio Street, directly across the street from the El Paso County Courthouse. The U.S. Courthouse is a square, sandstone, 5-story building surrounded by palm trees. There is only one entrance, and that entrance is on San Antonio Street.

A PHOTO I.D. IS ALWAYS REQUIRED OF EVERYONE ENTERING THE U.S. COURTHOUSE.

The Courthouse is easily accessible from I-10. If you are coming from the eastside, take the Downtown exit, turn left on Kansas Street to the San Antonio Street intersection. The U.S. Courthouse is at the intersection of Kansas Street and San Antonio Street. If you are coming from the Westside, take the Downtown exit, stay on Missouri until you get to Kansas Street. Turn right on Kansas Street to the San Antonio Street intersection. The U.S. Courthouse is at the intersection of San Antonio Street and Kansas Street.

FACILITIES: You will report for jury duty to the Jury Assembly Room on the 1st floor of the courthouse, Room #152. Restroom facilities are located directly opposite Room #152. THERE IS NO EATING FACILITY IN THE BUILDING; only two refreshment machines on the 1st floor and neither provides coffee.

PARKING: We are not able to provide free parking to anyone. There are numerous "pay parking lots" in the area: Diversified at Kansas and Myrtle; the county parking garage at Kansas and East Overland Ave.; U S Parking Systems at Kansas and East Overland Avenue, and 1-2 lots going east on Myrtle Avenue. IF you can find a parking meter, you may park at a meter. DO NOT feed the meter. We have a verbal arrangement with the Municipal Courts whereby your parking tickets will be taken care of. PLEASE! be sure to write your name on each ticket received and return immediately to the Jury Section of the U.S. Clerk's Office. The Clerk's Office is on the 2nd floor of the U.S. Courthouse in Room #219.

REPORTING FOR JURY DUTY: It is important that you report for jury duty ON TIME. You should allow the entire day for your jury service. Enclosed is the Summons to Report instructing you to report on a certain date. It also gives you the Jury Panel and Juror Number to which you are assigned. Example: P-01-3...(58). Please read this summons carefully and follow the instructions exactly. You must call the Juror Information Line after 5:00 p.m. the day before you are to report. The recorded message will refer to the Jury Panel Name. The message will also indicate a number range directing those jurors assigned a number within that range (for example 50 - 123) to report for jury duty. Jurors who do not fall within the number range remain "on-call" for jury duty for thirty days beginning with the day of summons.

REMEMBER: When you call the Juror Information Line and the recording does not include your number, you do not have to report for jury duty that day. This same message will indicate when to call again.

JUROR QUALIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: Enclosed with your summons you will find a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMPLETE THIS FORM - AND RETURN IT WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS. ALL BLANKS MUST BE ANSWERED. IF A QUESTION DOES NOT PERTAIN TO YOU, PLEASE MARK IT WITH "NA" (NOT APPLICABLE).

Enclosed with your summons will be a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope to be used when returning the completed Juror Qualification Questionnaire.

LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF SERVICE: Your jury panel will remain on-call for thirty days beginning with the day of your first appearance. Jury selections can be scheduled any day of the week. If you report for jury duty and are NOT selected, you will receive oral instructions on when to call again. If you are selected for a trial and it lasts more than one day, the judge will dismiss the jury each evening with instructions as to what time you will need to report the next day. Most of the trials are estimated to last from 1-3 days. If the trial continues late into the evening, you will be given enough time to get in touch with your family to make arrangements. For this, and other reasons, please make sure there is some way to reach a member of your family by telephone during any time you serve on a jury panel.

JUROR FEES: A $40.00 daily attendance fee is paid for each day you report for jury duty (with the exception of Federal Government employees), even if you are not selected to hear a case. Mileage is paid for the distance traveled to and from a juror's residence by the shortest, practical route going to, and returning from, the place of service. Please indicate the one-way mileage on the juror qualification questionnaire.

CHANGE OF NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Jurors who have a change of name, or address, or phone number, and/or employment status, MUST submit these changes to the Jury Section as soon as possible. Be sure to indicate the Panel Number and the Juror Number with the change(s) submitted.

A current mailing address is required in order to receive your notices and your jury check. The U.S. Postal Service cannot forward jury checks. A current day-time phone number is crucial in case we need to contact you by telephone.

ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES: Jurors will be given attendance certificates showing the date of service. Most employers require/expect these certificates.

EXCUSES: Please enclose, with your completed questionnaire, any request to be excused or postponed from jury service. Return within five (5) days of receiving your packet. Your request must indicate the Jury Panel Name and the Juror Number assigned to you. If you have a trip, a meeting, a medical appointment, etc., during the term of your service, you must submit this information immediately. You should list the dates of your trip (leaving/returning). If you are a student requesting to be excused, please include a class schedule with your written request to be excused. This office will notify you either by telephone or by letter as soon as the Judge has ruled on your request. You are NOT to assume that your request has been granted. Federal law is very strict regarding the granting of excuses. Address all requests to:

Clerk, United States District Court
Attention: JURY SECTION
511 E. San Antonio Street, Room 219
El Paso, Texas 79901

If you require an extreme hardship excuse/postponement AFTER the start of your thirty day term of service, submit your request immediately by FAX. The fax number is: (915) 534-6095. .

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED.

If you submit a request to be excused/postponed on the day you are directed to report, and the Court grants your request, you will NOT be paid the attendance fee, nor the mileage fee, and you will not be reimbursed any parking expense. Jurors who fail to report for jury duty, and who have not been excused/postponed by the Court, may be served a Show Cause Order by a Deputy United States Marshal. Those jurors will be ordered to appear before the court to explain why they should not be held in contempt of the Jury Selection and Service Act. Contempt penalties range from a $100.00 fine to three (3) days imprisonment, or both.

Reporting Instructions via Website

During your term of service, check our website each Saturday anytime after 10:00 a.m. The instructions on the website will refer to the Jury Panel indicated on your summons. Additionally, the instructions will indicate a number range directing those jurors assigned a number within that range to appear for jury duty. Jurors are on call for jury duty the entire month beginning with the day of your summons. ALL jurors are instructed to call the Juror Information Line or access our website each Saturday after 10:00 a.m. thereafter, during their summons month.

If you have additional questions regarding your service to this Court, please call the Jury Section by dialing (915) 534-6725, extension 261 for Lupe Hammer, extension 250 for Veronica Montoya, extension 235 for Elizabeth Chairez, or extension 263 for Michele Duenas. All four (4) extensions have voice mail.

We hope you will find your term of jury service an interesting, educational and satisfying experience. When you report for jury duty you will receive instructions that explain your duties and obligations as a juror in Federal Court.

WILLIAM G. PUTNICKI
Clerk of Court

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO DRESS CODE IN FEDERAL COURT, WE DO HAVE RESTRICTIONS:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

• NO .... T-SHIRTS or BODY SHIRTS (for the gentlemen a shirt with a collar is acceptable: such as a golf shirt)
• NO .... flip-flops, shower shoes, etc.
• NO .... capri pants, shorts or cut-offs
• NO .... sunglasses, except by Rx
• NO .... headgear (caps, berets, scarves)

Reading materials are no longer allowed in the Courtroom, AND cell phones are no longer allowed IN THE BUILDING. PLEASE! And THANK YOU!