The laws and rules regarding statutory qualifications are found in Sec. 62.102 of the Government Code.

You are qualified to serve as a petit juror in Brazoria County if you are:

1. At least 18 years of age
2. A citizen of the United States
3. A resident in Brazoria County
4. Are of sound mind and good moral character
5. Are able to read and write English
6. Have not served as a petit juror in the Brazoria County courts system during the preceding 6 months. (This does not include federal or municipal courts.)
7. Have not been convicted of any felony
8. Have not been convicted of any type of theft – whether a felony or a misdemeanor. (This includes a conviction for a Hot Check offense. If you have had a charge in the past for a Hot Check and you are not sure whether it is considered a conviction or not then please check with the county records in the county where the offense occurred.)
9. Are not under indictment or any type of legal accusation for a felony or any type of theft.
10. Are qualified under the Constitution and Laws to vote in Brazoria. (This does not mean that you have to be registered to vote in order to serve as a juror – just that you are eligible to register to vote if you wanted to.)
     

Please note:
You are not required to claim an exemption even though one might apply to you. If you would like to serve even though you are eligible for an exemption then we certainly appreciate your choosing to do so.  At this time the only type of employment that may claim an exemption from jury duty is exemption No. 4 below.  The Statutes regarding jury duty exemptions are found in Section 62.106 of the Government Code.

You MAY claim an exemption from jury duty if you are:

1. You are 70 years of age or older.
2. You have legal custody of a child under the age of 10 and serving on jury duty would necessitate leaving this child(ren) without adequate supervision. This exemption does not apply if you work outside the home during normal business hours. You may be excused if you are working part-time or unusual hours.
3. You are a high school or college student. This exemption applies for those who are currently in actual attendance. You must be attending during hours that would conflict with your jury service. Jury service is usually 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
4. You are an officer or employee of the Senate, the House of Representatives or any department, commission, board, office or agency of the legislative branch of government. This exemption does not apply to a person who is just a member of a board: (A) To be an officer means president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, etc.; (B) To be an employee means to be on the payroll of the Senate, House, committee, board, or any agency in the legislative branch.
5. You have served as a petit juror in the last 48 months period prior to the date you are to appear for this summons. This exemption is for those who were one of six or twelve jurors chosen for a trial and were sworn in by the judge.  This does not apply to those who served on a Municipal Court or Federal Court jury.
6. You are a primary caretaker of an invalid who is unable to care for him/herself. To qualify for this exemption, you must be the only caretaker and you must live at the same address as that person. Invalids in nursing or residential homes have caretakers. If you work as a health care provider, you are not eligible for this exemption.
7. Medical conditions.  (Physical or mental impairment) If you have a medical condition which would make it impossible or very difficult to serve as a juror, you may request an exemption by contacting the presiding judge.
8. Inability to Comprehend English.  If you are unable to comprehend or communicate in English you may request an exemption by appearing and talking with the judge.
9. Active Duty Military.  You are a member of the United States military forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from your home station and out of your county of residence.
    

YES!  Except for specially called jury panels (which are very rare) Brazoria County allows every juror one postponement for any reason at all in order for everyone to have the opportunity to pick a date better suited for their individual schedule.  Before choosing to reschedule your service please understand that you are limited to just ONE change so please be sure that you choose your new appearance date carefully.
 

Jurors are paid for their service. Each juror receives ten dollars ($10) for the first day of appearance and forty dollars ($40) for the second and any subsequent days of appearance.   Jurors may donate their pay to a number of organizations that have been approved by the Brazoria County Commissioners Court.

*Payment is processed at the end of jury service, and a check is mailed to each juror within three to four weeks of their service.*
 

Unfortunately your employer is not currently required by Texas state law to pay you while you are serving jury duty. However the law states that an employer can not terminate your employment for attending jury service.
 

Approximately 20% of prospective jurors are selected for trials. If you are not selected to sit as a juror on a case, you can expect to be released for the week. If you are selected, you will serve for one trial. Surprisingly, the average trial only lasts one (1) to three (3) days.