El Paso Jury Instructions

JURY INFORMATION AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY AT:

DID YOU RECEIVE A JURY SUMMONS POSTCARD IN THE MAIL? 

     

 

If you received a summons for jury service in our court, you must complete a Juror Information Form and Supplemental Questionnaire.

You can scan the QR code located on the front of the postcard or click the link  “I Received a Summons Postcard”.

You will need your unique nine-digit participant number which is located above your name and address to complete.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL JURY SERVICE

LOCATION:
United States District Courthouse
525 Magoffin Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79901
Courthouse Location

You will report to the Jury Assembly Room on the 2nd floor of the courthouse.

ENTERING COURTHOUSE:
A valid photo ID is required when entering the courthouse.

CELL PHONES:
Cell phones and all other electronic devices (such as MP3 players, iPods, and electronic book readers) are not allowed in the courthouse.

PARKING:
There are numerous “pay parking lots” in the area:

• Diversified at Kansas and Myrtle;
• County Parking Garage at Kansas and East Overland Ave.;
• U.S. Parking Systems at Kansas and East Overland Avenue; or,
• There are 1-2 lots available on Myrtle Avenue.

Please make sure to pay at the pay parking lots before you leave the parking area. The District Clerk’s Office will only reimburse the prepaid parking fee. Fees incurred for not pre-paying will be your responsibility.

Do not park in reserved parking areas or at parking meters.

YOUR SUMMONS:
Your summons postcard includes important information about your jury service in Federal Court.  You will need your participant number located on the reverse side of the postcard above your name.

How long will I serve?
Your jury pool will remain on-call for thirty days beginning with the first working day of the month.

What day do I begin my service?
Your summons includes the date you are scheduled to report. Allow the entire day for your jury service.

How will I be informed about when to report?
Please follow the Reporting Instructions listed on your summons postcard. When accessing our message system via phone or the web, you must enter your Juror Participant Number. The Participant Number can be found on the reverse side of your summons postcard.

What is the expected length and frequency of my service?
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 on when 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.

JUROR INFORMATION FORM:
Enclosed with your summons postcard you will find the QR code and our website address to complete the Juror Information Form and Supplemental Questionnaire. Please complete these forms as soon as possible. It is very important that you include your phone number, in the event our office needs to contact you should changes in the Court’s schedule occur. All blanks must be answered. If a question does not pertain to you, please mark with a N/A (Not Applicable).   If you do not have access to the internet, call 866-279-7008 and select option 2.  Leave a message with your name and participant number to request a paper copy to be mailed you.  You will receive a self-addressed, postage paid envelope to be used when returning the completed forms.

EXCUSES:
If you have a request to be excused or posted from jury service, you will need to complete the request here Request Postponement or Excuse, emailing, or calling the jury office.  Return within five (5) days of receiving your summons postcard. If emailing or calling, your request must indicate the Juror Participant Number assigned to you. If you have a trip, meeting, or 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. A juror can check the status of their request by accessing our Jury Messaging System (see section on Excuse Request Status, below). 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
525 Magoffin Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79901

txwd_jury_elpaso@txwd.uscourts.gov

OR

you may also submit your excuse request on-line:   Request Postponement or Excuse.

If you require an extreme hardship excuse or postponement AFTER the start of your thirty-day term of service, submit your request immediately by FAX. The fax number is: (915) 834-0622.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED.

If you submit a request to be excused or postponed on the day you are directed to report, and the Judge 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 or postponed by a judge, may be served a Show Cause Order by a Deputy United States Marshal. Those jurors will be ordered to appear before a judge to explain why they should not be held in contempt of the Jury Selection and Service Act. Contempt penalties range from a $1,000 fine, imprisoned not more than three days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof.

EXCUSE REQUEST STATUS:
The decision of the Court will be made available to you by accessing our Jury Messaging System at 888-587-9329 or on-line at:   Reporting Instructions. Please make sure you have your Participant Number available when accessing the message system. When an excuse request is submitted to our office, the Jury Messaging System will either state that your request has been granted or denied. Allow 3-5 business days before accessing the Jury Messaging System to check the status of your excuse request.

JUROR FEES:
A $50.00 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.

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 Information Form.

Jurors who reside 70 or more miles from the courthouse are eligible to receive reimbursement for the exact amount that is detailed on their lodging receipt, up to $98, which is the maximum GSA lodging rate for El Paso. If a juror elects lodging that is in excess of the GSA lodging rate, the juror will be responsible for the overage. Jurors incurring an overnight stay will also receive a Meal and Incidental Expense allowance of $64 for each day of travel, including the day the juror returns home. The use of online booking sites are discouraged since the court does not reimburse booking fees. 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 the nightly lodging rate and the time when the juror checked-in and checked-out.

COURTROOM DECORUM:
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 and name.
2. No tobacco in any form at any time.
3. No propping of feet on tables and/or chairs.
4. No bottles, beverage containers, paper cups or food shall be brought into the courtroom.
5. No gum chewing, reading of newspapers and/or magazines (except as part of evidence in a case).
6. Appropriate dress is required.
   1. No t-shirts or body shirts. A collared shirt is acceptable for men.
   2. No flip flops or shower shoes.
   3. No capri pants, shorts or cut-offs.
   4. No sunglasses, except prescription.
   5. No headgear (caps, berets or scarves).
   6. No tank tops, spaghetti straps or tube tops.

CHANGE OF NAMES, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMPLOYMENT CHANGES:
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 Juror Participant 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.

If you have additional questions regarding your service to this Court, please call the Jury Section by dialing (915) 834-0510 or email at txwd_jury_elpaso@txwd.uscourts.gov