El Paso County selects is jurors from two sources, Voter Registration and Texas Driver’s License or Identification Card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The Voter list and the DPS lists are merged by matching the names as best as possible to minimize duplications. The list is then uploaded to the jury software and the Jury Summons are randomly selected from the database.

To serve as a juror you must meet these qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years of age;
• Be a citizen of this state and a resident of the county or city in which you are to serve as a juror (El Paso County);
• Be qualified under the Constitution and laws to vote in the county or city in which you are to serve as a juror (Note: you DO NOT have to be registered to vote to be qualified to vote);
• Be of sound mind and good moral character;
• Be able to read and write;
• Not have served as a juror for six days during the preceding three months in the county court or during the preceding six months in the district court;
• Not have been convicted of theft or any felony; and
• Not be under indictment or other legal accusation of a misdemeanor theft, felony theft, or any other felony charge.

Contact Jury Duty Hall at (915) 273-3522 or send a message through I-Juror and let them know. If they can determine that you are not qualified, they will disqualify you. If they can’t, you must still report to Jury Duty Hall and the Judge that you are assigned to will determine whether or not you are qualified to serve. Leaving a phone message or sending an email does NOT mean you are automatically disqualified. You MUST speak to an individual at Jury Duty Hall and get further instructions.

Nonresidents are not qualified to serve on juries. Please contact Jury Hall and be prepared to provide an official document that shows your new address outside El Paso County (for instance, a driver’s license with new address or a voter registration card).

Exemptions are set forth by the Legislature, and if applicable, the Juror may be excused from jury service for the time that the exemption applies. Exemptions must be claimed each and every time. They are not carried over from one summons to another. They are listed on the back of the summons and in I-Juror. They should be claimed when filling out the form.

They include, if you:

• Are over 75 years of age;
• Have legal custody of a child or children younger than 12 years of age and service on the jury would require leaving the child or children without adequate supervision;
• Are a student at a public or private high school;
• Are enrolled and attending college;
• Are an officer or an employee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state government;
• Are a member of the United States military forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from home station and out of the county residence;
• Are the primary caretaker of a person who is unable to care of themselves and you are required to stay with them during the day; or
• Have a mental or physical disability that prevents you from serving on a jury.

The exemptions are listed on the back of the juror questionnaire that has to be returned to jury duty hall by the date listed on the summons. You must checkmark the exemption that is applicable and provide any of the information that may be further required. You may also claim the exemption on i-Juror. Please remember that you must follow up with Jury Duty Hall to verify the exemption was granted.

You can call Jury Duty Hall or send a message through I-Juror and ask for a postponement. If this is your first request for a postponement, Jury Duty Hall will honor it. If this is your second request for postponement, Jury Duty Hall cannot grant it. However, they will forward to you an affidavit that can be filled out and returned to have it reviewed by the Judge. The Judge will make a decision about whether to grant or deny the second postponement. Please remember that making a request does NOT mean that it is granted automatically.

El Paso County will accommodate anyone with a medical problem or a disability to help them complete their jury service.

If you have a medical condition that prohibits you from serving on jury duty, you may ask for the medical exemption forms. The forms require a sworn affidavit by the juror, a release under HIPAA and a form to be signed by your medical doctor. The Judge will make a decision on whether to grant the request and if so, for how long.

You can answer either by returning the questionnaire in the envelope provided or via the Internet using I-Juror.

You must answer the questionnaire and appear for Jury Duty. If you fail to do either of those, you will be facing a hearing in Jury Duty Court.

You can login to the I-Juror system using your Juror Id number that is on your summons. The questionnaire can be filled out online. If any of the exemptions are applicable, be sure to mark that within I-Juror. An electronic signature will be required.

Before going to I-Juror, have available your summons form (if you don’t have your summons form, contact the jury office at (915) 273-3522 for assistance).

You can then go to I-Juror webpage. Please pay special attention to the Juror Responsibilities page. You will need to follow those directions to ensure that you:

1. Fill out the form completely;
2. Check your email daily for updates; and
3. Most importantly, report to the court on time.

Once you submit the form, you should receive a confirmation of submission. This lets you know that your form was transmitted properly.

You will be notified to appear at Jury Duty Court on a later date. You may see the section regarding Jury Duty Court. You may call (915) 273-3522 and ask them to document why you missed. The phone call will NOT excuse your absence but it will help in documenting the situation. The Judge of Jury Duty Court will make the final call at the hearing and a fine may be imposed.

After you report on the listed date and time to Jury Duty Hall or your assigned location, you will receive further instructions, to include where to sit and when to transfer to your assigned court.

The County, if possible, will let you know if a panel has been cancelled to avoid you from traveling to the location where you were summoned.

You are being asked to report to Jury Duty Hall. They will then let you know where you will be assigned and help guide you to your assigned location.

YES. Jury Duty is a civic responsibility and should be done by all residents of the County. We could tell you all the reasons given in government or civics classes, but most of you have already heard them. We could tell you how serving on a jury is an interesting and rewarding experience, but you'll find that out for yourself. We could also talk about service to your community, being part of the justice system, the need for citizen participation, group decision-making, and all the other reasons why you should serve.

Ultimately, you have to serve because the law requires it.

The law says that the names of people who register to vote, who drive a car, or who have a Texas DPS ID card go into the system, so your name was included.

Names are randomly selected from this system to receive a summons, and your name was selected.

Failure to report for jury service carries a penalty of up to $1000 fine, and in some instances, the judge can hold you in contempt of court and order a jail confinement.

We recognize the impact being called for jury service has on your life, and we do all we can to ensure your jury service is as easy and convenient as possible. El Paso County will work with you, within reason, to find a suitable date, but we can't make it go away.

If you have not reported to Jury Duty Hall, you must contact them and see if a postponement can occur. If a postponement cannot occur, you must report to your assigned location. If you have already gone to your assigned court, then contact should be made with the Bailiff of that court

The Courthouse is located at 500 E. San Antonio Ave. The Building can be reached by exiting I-10 at the Downtown exit and heading South on Kansas St. until it intersects with Overland Ave. Take a left on Overland Ave. and the Parking Garage entrance will be on the right.

Coming from Paisano Dr., the Courthouse is North on Campbell St. and then a left on Overland Ave. The Parking Garage entrance is at the second building on the left hand side.

Parking for Jurors selected to serve on a jury to hear the trial will have to pay for parking on their own.

There is armed security at both entrances, the 1st and 3rd floor, to the El Paso County Courthouse. You will also be required to step through a metal detector and X-ray machine for your belongings. All firearms and weapons are prohibited from entering the courthouse.

It is not possible to know what type of case that you may be hearing. Cases are either civil or criminal in nature. Civil cases are many types of cases to include, but not limited to, family, personal injury, probate, and wrongful termination. Criminal cases will involve either misdemeanors or felonies. Again, we will not know ahead of time.

The panel of jurors will be brought before the Judge of the court to which they are assigned. They will be sworn in and qualified to sit as a juror. Those qualified will then be questioned by the attorneys on the case in a process called Voir Dire or Jury Selection.

At impaneling, jurors are:

• Given an oath of office. You may affirm or promise if you do not give oaths.
• Qualified to serve. The Judge will qualify the jury by insuring they can hear the evidence.
• Excused or postponed if permitted by law. Most excuses that are not disqualifications or exemptions are at the judge's discretion.
• Given information about jury service in general. The Court will let you know what to expect and what to do.

The process of selecting a jury is called Voir Dire or Jury Selection and is essentially done by the attorneys in the case under a presiding judge. Juries are comprised of 6 to 12 jurors, depending on the court in which the case is being tried. If you are not picked, you are released from further jury duty at that time.

Jurors listen to the facts of the case for the duration of the trial and then upon the conclusion of the trial, they will deliberate with their fellow jurors in order to reach a verdict. As for rules, the Judge with give the jury instructions about how to conduct oneself during trial.

Jurors are paid $20 for appearing to their assigned court. If they are selected for the Jury which hears the case, they will be paid $58 per day for the length of the trial.

The law does not require that your employer pay you while you are on jury duty, though many choose to do so. The law does require that your employer allow you time off from work to fulfil your jury service obligations, and you cannot be discharged from your job for being on jury duty. If your employer does not comply with the law, civil and criminal sanctions may apply.

Please inform the Bailiff and he or she will supply you with a letter for the dates of service that were completed.

The questionnaire you complete as part of jury service is confidential and cannot be disclosed to persons who are not involved with trying the case to which you are assigned. Your name, however, does become a part of the official record available to the public.