Western District of Texas

INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL JURY SERVICE

Welcome to jury duty for the United States District Court, Western District of Texas. Please carefully read this information to assist in answering initial questions you may have about jury duty. When you report for jury duty you will receive additional information explaining your duties and obligations as a juror.

PLEASE HAVE A PICTURE IDENTIFICATION CARD AVAILABLE TO PRESENT WHEN ENTERING THE COURTHOUSE BUILDING.

LOCATION: United States District Courthouse, 200 West 8th Street, Austin, Texas.

FACILITIES: There is no eating facility in the building.

PARKING: Parking downtown is scarce.

When reporting for jury service at the United States District Courthouse, it is recommended that you use the Capital Metro "Red" Dillo which you may access at Austin High School (north of Town Lake under the Mopac Bridge) or "Gold" Dillo at the baseball fields on Toomey Road (south of Town Lake just off S. Lamar Boulevard next to the Zachary Scott Theater). For more information about the Dillo go to Capital Metro Transit. If you choose to travel by personal vehicle, there are lots located at Nueces between 8th and 9th Street and at 9th and San Antonio (behind Austin Public Library). Also at 300 W. 6th Street Parking Garage at 7th Street between Guadalupe and Lavaca (across the street from Chase Bank). You may park at any bank garage if public spaces are available. DO NOT PARK AT PARKING METERS — WE CANNOT DISMISS PARKING TICKETS.

Cost for parking in the lots ranges from $4.00 to $15.00 per day, and will be reimbursed by the Court upon payment of juror attendance fees. The maximum the Court will reimburse jurors for parking is $15.00 a day.

REPORTING: It is important that you report on time for jury duty. You should allow the entire day for your jury service.

Your Summons will state the date you are to report, and give you the Jury Panel and jury number to which you are assigned (Example: P-131-4). This number will not change during the term of the panel to which you have been assigned. Please read the summons carefully and follow the instructions, exactly.

Unless instructed otherwise, jurors are advised of their specific reporting date(s) via a recorded message center that is updated on Friday and Sunday evenings. Each Friday, including the Friday before your report date, you must call the jury information line at (512) 916-5896 ext 100 or 1(800)829-8283 ext 100, after 5:30 p.m. The recorded message will reference the jury panel number (indicated on your summons) and will announce the individual juror numbers of those persons who are required to report the following Monday. If your juror number is announced, you must call the juror information line again after 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday before you are to report to confirm that no changes have been made. Any trial cancellations, changes in reporting time, etc., will be explained in an updated recorded message.

Jurors whose numbers are not announced on the recording, remain on call for jury duty throughout the term of the panel. DO NOT REPORT FOR JURY DUTY on the following Monday. If you are required to report at a later date during the term of the panel, another jury summons will be mailed to you advising when you are to report; however, whether or not you receive an additional summons, ALL jurors are instructed to call each Friday after 5:30 p.m. thereafter, during the term of the jury panel.

Reporting Instructions via Website

During your term of service, check our website after 5:00 p.m. (not earlier) the night before you are to report even if the night before is a Sunday or holiday. 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 two months beginning with the day of your summons. ALL jurors are instructed to call the Code-A-Phone or access our website each Sunday evening thereafter, during their summons months.

JUROR QUALIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: Enclosed with your summons, you will find a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. This form has a clear mailing label affixed to it that contains information for official use by this office. Do not remove it. It is very important that the Juror Qualification Questionnaire be completed and returned as soon as possible. All blanks must be completed. If a question does not pertain to you, please mark it with N/A (for not applicable). Please use the enclosed self-addressed postage-paid envelope to return your completed Juror Qualification Questionnaire.

LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF SERVICE: Your jury panel is subject to being called during the next TWO MONTHS, starting on the day of the summons enclosed. Jury selections are scheduled on Mondays with very few exceptions. Unless instructed otherwise, if you report for jury duty and are not selected, you will receive instructions to call each Friday during the term, after 5:30 p.m. for further instructions. Jurors can be summoned more than once during the particular term of their initial summons; and jurors can serve on more than one trial within the term.

If you are selected as a juror for a trial that lasts more than one day, before dismissing court for the evening, the judge will instruct the jurors as to the reporting time for the next day. Most trials last from 2 to 5 days. If a trial continues later into the evening than expected, you will be given enough time to contact your family to make any necessary 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 must serve on a jury panel.

CONDUCT OF JURORS: The following is a guideline for courtroom decorum which jurors are asked to observe:

1. Rise when addressing or being addressed by the Judge and always begin your answer to a question by stating your juror number.
2. Cell phones are allowed in the Courthouse, however, they must be turned off while in the courtroom.
3. No tobacco in any form at any time.
4. No propping of feet on tables and/or chairs.
5. No bottles, beverage containers, paper cups or food shall be brought into the courtroom.
6. No gum chewing, reading of newspapers and/or magazines (except as part of evidence in a case).
7. All jurors must wear appropriate attire; items such as shorts, cutoffs, tank or tube tops, over-revealing clothing or sandals without socks or hose are not considered proper attire. Jeans (no holes or patches) are considered appropriate attire. Hats may not be worn in the courtroom.

JUROR FEES: A $40.00 daily attendance fee is paid for each day you report for jury duty, even if you are not selected to hear a case. A prescribed rate per mile is paid for the distance traveled to and from a juror's residence by the shortest practical route in going to and returning from the place of service. Please indicate the one-way mileage on the juror qualification questionnaire. If you live more than 70 miles (one way) from Austin, you may travel the day before you are instructed to report. You will be reimbursed $151.00 for each night you are required to stay for jury service. (NOTE: You may want to pack several days clothing in case you are selected as a juror and decide to stay overnight.) A list of hotels in downtown Austin is available.

CHANGE OF NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMPLOYMENT CHANGES: Jurors who have a change of name and address, phone number and/or employment should submit these changes to the Jury Clerk as soon as possible in writing. Be sure to indicate the Panel Number and Juror Number with any correspondence. A current mailing address is important and required so that your jury check can be delivered by the postal service. The U. S. Post Office cannot forward jury checks. A current day-time telephone number is also important in the event we need to contact you by telephone.

ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES: Jurors will be given an attendance certificate showing the date(s) of service. When you serve on a trial, attendance certificates are issued at the end of the trial and are inclusive of the first day you reported until discharged by the Court. Some employers require this certificate. If you need additional information for your employer, please contact the jury clerk.

EXCUSES (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): Requests to be excused or postponed from jury service at any time during your term of service should be sent to the address below. Please submit your request on a separate sheet of paper. Do not write your request on the questionnaire. Your excuse letter may be mailed in the same envelope as your questionnaire and it must include the Jury Panel and Juror Number assigned to you. If you have any temporary conflicts, planned trips, meetings, doctor appointments, etc., during the two month term you are summoned, you need to submit this information immediately, or you may not be excused for that day. This office will notify you by letter immediately upon receipt of the Judge's reply to your request to be excused. Do not assume your request has been granted. There are very few automatic exemptions from federal jury service. Address all requests to:

Clerk, United States District Court
Attention: Jury Clerk
200 W. 8th Street, Room 130
Austin, Texas 78701

OR

you may email your request to:   Austin Jury Clerk.

Please remember that you are not excused until you receive a response from the Court.

If you require an extreme hardship excuse or postponement AFTER you start your term of service, submit your request immediately. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ANOTHER SUMMONS TO REPORT.

If you submit a request to be excused or postponed on the day you are directed to report, and the Court grants your request, you will not be reimbursed for attendance, hotel, mileage or parking fee.

Jurors who fail to report for jury duty and who have not been excused by the Court may be served a Show Cause Order by a United States Deputy Marshal. Those jurors will be ordered to appear before the Court to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of the Jury Service and Selection Act. Contempt penalties range from a $100.00 fine to three (3) days imprisonment; or both.

If you have additional questions regarding your service to this Court, please feel free to call the Jury Clerk at (512)916-5896 ext 249.

We hope you will find your term of jury service an interesting and satisfying experience. When you report for jury duty, you will receive additional instructions about your duties and obligations as a juror.

WILLIAM G. PUTNICKI
Clerk of Court