San Antonio Jury Instructions
Juror Instructions:
NOVEMBER PANEL P-136-5
Posted: 11/20/2009 Updated!
Jurors on Panel P-136-5 number 1 through and including juror number 350 will not report for jury service on Monday, November 23rd jury selection has been cancelled. All jurors on Panel P-136-5 are instructed to visit this website or call the Code-A-Phone, Sunday evening, November 29th after 6:00 p.m. for possible jury service Monday, November 30th. Thank You.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL JURY SERVICE
- LOCATION:
- John H. Wood, Jr., U.S. Courthouse
655 E. Durango Boulevard
San Antonio, Texas 78206
Courthouse Map
Via Google:
Courthouse Location
You will report for jury duty to the Jury Assembly Room on the Ground Floor of the courthouse. The Jury Assembly Room is located in Room G-13. Restroom facilities are located on this floor. - ENTERING COURTHOUSE:
- Please have a picture identification card available to present entering the courthouse building. The courthouse opens at 7:45 a.m.
- PARKING:
- Lot A and Lot B are located across the street from the courthouse building on either side of Indianola Street at East Durango Boulevard (see General Layout of Courthouse Complex). These two lots are public parking lots and free of charge. Do not park in reserved parking areas or at parking meters. Parking for jurors is in either Lot A or Lot B. If you require handicap parking, please call the Jury Clerk at (210) 472-6550, extension 273, or toll free at (800) 659-2497.
- YOUR SUMMONS:
- Your summons includes important information about your jury service in Federal Court.
How long will I serve?
Your jury panel is subject to being called during the entire month beginning with the day of your summons. (Note on the sample summons below, August is listed as the month for service.)
- What day do I begin my service?
Your Summons will instruct you to report on a certain day and time (allow the entire day for your jury service.)
The summons indicates that I am on call for the entire month. How will I be informed about when to report?
Under the important section of your summons, it directs jurors to call a code-a-phone message or by accessing our website. Both sources will provide you information regarding your jury service. When accessing either source, it is important to know your jury panel number and juror number that is listed on your summons. (Example: P-121-5 and Juror No. 14)
- What is the expected length and frequency of my service?
Jury selections are scheduled on Mondays with very few exceptions, if any. If you report for jury duty and are not selected, you will receive instructions to call each Sunday during the month, after 6:00 p.m. for further instructions. Again, jurors can be summoned more than once during the particular month of their initial summons; and jurors can serve on more than one trial within that same month. If you are selected for a trial and it lasts more than one day, the judge will dismiss the jury each evening and instruct you as to what time you will need to report in the next day. Most of the trials are estimated from 1 - 3 days. If the trial continues later into the evening than expected, you will be given enough time to get in touch with your family to make arrangements. - 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 as soon as possible. All blanks must be answered. If a question does not pertain to you please mark with a N/A (Not Applicable). You will receive a self-addressed, postage paid envelope to be used when returning the completed Juror Qualification Questionnaire.
- EXCUSES:
- Federal Law allowing the granting of excuses is very strict. Request for excuses and postponements should be mailed with the completed juror qualification questionnaire form in the return envelope provided. Enclosed with your summons mail-out you will find an excuse form that you can use to submit your excuse in writing.
Your request must indicate the Jury Panel and juror number assigned to you. If you have any prior commitments such as trips, meetings, doctor's appointments, etc. during the month you are summoned, you need to submit this information to the Court. This office will notify you either by telephone or letter immediately upon receipt of the Judge's reply to your request. You are not to assume your request has been granted. If a situation arises after you have submitted your completed juror qualification questionnaire, you may fax your request to (210) 472-6581 or mail your request to:
Clerk, United States District Court
Attention: Jury Clerk
655 E. Durango Blvd.
San Antonio, Texas 78206
OR
you may email your request to: San Antonio Jury Clerk.
The Court will only entertain requests for excuses/postponements for emergency situations on the day you are directed to report. If the Court grants your request, you will not be reimbursed the attendance or mileage 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 Deputy United States 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 $1,000.00 fine, imprisoned not more than three (3) days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof. - JUROR FEES:
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- 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 San Antonio, you may travel the day before you are instructed to report. You will be reimbursed a set per diem 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.) If an on-line hotel booking service is used, the following two documents must be provided to the jury clerk: 1) Receipt from the on-line service and, 2) Receipt from the hotel detailing when the juror checked-in and checked-out. This documentation can be provided in a letter from the hotel. A lone receipt from the on-line service will not satisfy the documentation our office needs to reimburse you in a timely manner.
- CHANGE OF NAMES, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMPLOYMENT CHANGES:
- 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 will not forward jury checks.
Jurors who have a change of name, address, phone number and/or employment after they have submitted their juror qualification questionnaire should submit these changes to the Jury Section as soon as possible. Be sure to indicate the Panel Number and Juror Number with the change being submitted.
A current day-time phone 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 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 have additional questions regarding your service to this Court, please feel free to call the jury department at (210) 472-6550 extension 273. Our toll free telephone number is 1-800-659-2497.