Jury duty in Houston tomorrow

[allisji]

because of my outstanding levels of relevant experience and my amazing record of high achievement I have been selected to report for Jury duty tomorrow in Houston.

Having never been summonsed for Jury duty before I don't know what to expect.

Based on my limited knowledge I plan to do the following:

1. Eat breakfast before I go. 2. Arrive early to get a parking spot in the garage. 3. Leave my gun in the car as I assume that it would be a great inconvenience for me to carry it to Jury duty.

About number 3: Is the "Jury Assembly Building" off-limits? If not, then I would assume that handgun carry is not a problem unless I'm selected as a juror, in which case I would have to disarm to enter the courthouse. Are there accomodations for a juror to disarm before entering the courthouse or would I have to return to my car to lock it up?

Any experience from Harris County jurors would be appreciated.

[tomneal]

Leave you pocket knives, and Kubatons in the car as well.

They used metal detector last time I went

[Soccerdad1995]

And make sure you bring some reading material or paperwork. Expect a boring day.

[rotor]

I wouldn't bring a gun. Expect the following, at least my experience in Wichita Falls. You will show up and wait and then they give you a big lecture, send you home and have you contact them by phone to see if you should come in the next day. If you are lucky they will not have you to come in again. If you do have to come in there will be a total disregard for your time and expense and you will not be paid anything unless you are on a jury. If you are on a jury you will be paid next to nothing and you will have the opportunity to find out how stupid your peers are and how easily influenced they are by anything. When you are done you will have a complete disrespect for the jury system and would welcome a King Solomon making decisions.
This is not a pleasant experience. They only saving grace to all of this is that you may be able to save some poor slob from going to the slammer for a nothing offense.

[Teamless]

From a weapon (knife or gun or other) point of view, leave them in your car or other mode of transport - or worse case, at home.
if chosen, you will not have time to take things back to your car.

From a non-weapon point of view, I always take a backpack with:
1-2 waters/soft-drinks
snack(s)
portable charger for iPad/iPhone
iPad with headphones to watch Youtube or downloaded videos

As it will be cold as well, you may want the backpack to put your hat, gloves, other inside, when you are in the courthouse - just in case.

Good luck, enjoy the process (sincerely I mean that) and if you watch in the jury assembly rooms, how hard people try to get out of serving, drives me nuts!

[cedarparkdad987]

If its downtown Houston they used to screen everyone airport style. Bring a book. Expect Kafkaesque levels of annoyance.
You will only be picked if its really inconvenient.

[allisji]

I hadn't thought about the risk of boredom as I always imagine that they immediately usher the prospective jurors into a room with cubicles where they start pulling people aside one by one and asking them all sorts of questions. Then I always imagined that you are either selected for a jury or sent home.

After reading your responses and reading some other information I now see that my preconceived notions were, as usual, way off.

Anyway, I was planning on taking my laptop, so that I could log into my work email, etc. I will also plan to have some other reading material, and some headphones. Sounds like I should plan to be there all day. Awesome

[bblhd672]

And don't forget to tell them you believe in capital punishment for anything above littering.

[OneGun]

I have done jury duty quite few times, I think because I show up. There are three court systems that use juries: Federal Court, County District Court, Municipal Court (City of Houston). Check your summons. Know where are you to report. If you are in County District Court (Harris), there is a webpage with useful information here: https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/Common/ ... earch.aspx Note because Hurricane Harvey flooded the Jury Assembly Room, it has been moved to 1001 Preston.

If you are on Federal Court, you will report to the Federal Building at Rusk and Smith. If municipal, you will report to the courthouse off of Memorial across the street from the police station.

In all locations, you will be screen airport style. You can bring a book, laptop, tablet, etc. Most have free wifi. You should eat first, and bring a snack. The Municipal location does not have very many restaurant options. The other two do have options. The Federal building has a greasy spoon for a cafeteria inside of the security zone. The Marshall service take security extremely seriously. Do not tease and expect a long line to pass through security.

There are a number of restaurants near the County District Court buildings.

Good Luck. Remember, you can't decide on a traffic violation unless the death penalty is on the table.

P.S. Don't even tease about carrying. The Marshalls have no sense of humor and the Sheriffs' deputies will likely tase you. At Municipal court, HPD might just shoot first and then ask if you had a firearm.

[howdy]

You will go through security when you get there. The main jury room was flooded during Harvey and they are now meeting at: Harris County Jury Room
1001 Preston
1st Floor
Houston, TX 77002

It is 6 blocks from the jury parking garage and the original jury room. There might be a parking lot closer to this room. It is going to be a long cold walk from the parking garage and you might not get released until after dark. It would be a long, cold defenseless walk going back.

[allisji]

I have done jury duty quite few times, I think because I show up. There are three court systems that use juries: Federal Court, County District Court, Municipal Court (City of Houston). Check your summons. Know where are you to report. If you are in County District Court (Harris), there is a webpage with useful information here: https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/Common/ ... earch.aspx Note because Hurricane Harvey flooded the Jury Assembly Room, it has been moved to 1001 Preston.

If you are on Federal Court, you will report to the Federal Building at Rusk and Smith. If municipal, you will report to the courthouse off of Memorial across the street from the police station.

In all locations, you will be screen airport style. You can bring a book, laptop, tablet, etc. Most have free wifi. You should eat first, and bring a snack. The Municipal location does not have very many restaurant options. The other two do have options. The Federal building has a greasy spoon for a cafeteria inside of the security zone. The Marshall service take security extremely seriously. Do not tease and expect a long line to pass through security.

There are a number of restaurants near the County District Court buildings.

Good Luck. Remember, you can't decide on a traffic violation unless the death penalty is on the table.

P.S. Don't even tease about carrying. The Marshalls have no sense of humor and the Sheriffs' deputies will likely tase you. At Municipal court, HPD might just shoot first and then ask if you had a firearm.

Thanks, 95% certain that my summons was from the county clerk. I will be 100% certain in about 5 minutes when I walk back out to my car. I plan to park at the garage on Congress and they said that there is a shuttle operated by the Metro that will drop me off at 1001 Preston.

[Pawpaw]

Unless Houston is vastly different from the placed I've had to go for jury duty, you will NOT be allowed to have any contact with the outside world, whether through internet, email, text messages, phone calls, etc. They had us turn all that stuff off before we even set foot into the room.

[OneGun]

Unless Houston is vastly different from the placed I've had to go for jury duty, you will NOT be allowed to have any contact with the outside world, whether through internet, email, text messages, phone calls, etc. They had us turn all that stuff off before we even set foot into the room.

Not quite accurate. While waiting to be put on the panel, you can do what you want (phone calls, read, surf internet). If and when you are seated on a jury, then you can't research the case online or talk about it with anyone, not even another juror, until deliberations begin. During the trial, you have to have your cell phones on silent and you can't message anyone.

[dlh]

Jury duty like a box of chocolates....

Oh, and don't forget the county courts at law---could be a DWI.

Good luck!

[Pawpaw]

Unless Houston is vastly different from the placed I've had to go for jury duty, you will NOT be allowed to have any contact with the outside world, whether through internet, email, text messages, phone calls, etc. They had us turn all that stuff off before we even set foot into the room.

Not quite accurate. While waiting to be put on the panel, you can do what you want (phone calls, read, surf internet). If and when you are seated on a jury, then you can't research the case online or talk about it with anyone, not even another juror, until deliberations begin. During the trial, you have to have your cell phones on silent and you can't message anyone.

Actually, It wass 100% accurate for my experiences in North Texas. Your experience apparently was different, and that's OK too.