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Jury Duty
The right to a jury trial is fundamental to our justice system. It is not possible to have jury trials without citizens, who when summoned for jury duty, will respond and appear on the date ordered. No matter which court, it takes a large number of citizens to appear in order to select a fair and impartial jury. Having served as the district judge of the 13th District Court since 2009, I have presided over hundreds of jury trials. Whether criminal, civil, or family, each trial is unique. However, the one common denominator in each trial is that it takes time to select a jury. Whether it is the judge conducting qualifications and exemptions or the attorneys having an opportunity to voir dire a panel for their thoughts on the law in a particular case, it takes time. Often, it might be all day depending on the type of case. I believe most trial judges are cognizant of the anxiety, impatience, and uncertainty that goes along with being summoned for jury duty. I do my best to see that a jury panel is not sitting outside the courtroom excessively waiting.
In April 2023, I asked for and received approval from the Navarro County Commissioners Court to implement new jury software in Navarro County. This software is used by courts throughout the State of Texas as well as federal courts. In sum, you will now receive a postcard that will contain a QR code or a website to log in and fill out the questionnaire. Those who are disqualified or wish to claim an exemption will be able to do so online and wait for the court to rule on the disqualification or exemption, thus eliminating the need for that person to appear. Another feature of this software will allow you to defer your appearance to another date and time that accommodates your schedule. And finally, once you have logged into the system you will receive emails and/or texts giving you updates of your service such as cancellations and scheduling changes. Ultimately, the Court believes this will eliminate much of the time spent on qualifications and exemptions and go straight to voir dire by the attorneys.
Beginning in July 2023, this Court began working with the District Clerk, County Clerk, IT, County Judge, and County Court at Law Judge to implement this program. The software company indicated at the time it would take approximately nine months to get the program launched. After almost a year of weekly meetings with the software company and stakeholders, I am excited to announce that our first summons from the new software will be sent for the July 2024 Grand Jury. By the end of July, all summons from the 13th District Court, the County Court at Law, and the County Court should come in the form of a postcard. It is the expectation that this software will provide panel members a better experience by being kept up to date of their status for jury duty and providing the attorneys the answers to the questionnaires in a timelier fashion.
In closing, if you have appeared in my court recently, you have heard me reference a book [The Aquariums of Pyongyang] about a family in North Korea that was removed from their house one day due to being relatives of a criminal. The grandfather (the “criminal”) apparently had political opinions that were contrary to the North Korean government which resulted in his removal from work without any due process or a jury trial and sent to a hard labor camp. The remaining family members were separated and sent to different gulag camps throughout North Korea with no due process or a jury trial. Most of the family did not survive except for the one family member who was able to escape North Korea into China and ultimately get to the United States where he was able to write his story. The story is one that demonstrates how fortunate we are to live in a country where we all have the right to a jury trial. And while jury duty can be a disruption to your daily lives and schedules, it is much better than what takes place in countries like North Korea where there is no due process or jury trials. As we approach celebrating the 4thof July, we should honor and thank the men and women of the military who have sacrificed so much to give each of us opportunity to participate not only in the justice system through jury duty but also have our disputes heard by a jury of our peers. God bless the United States and the great State of Texas.
Respectfully,
James Lagomarsino
District Judge – 13th District Court
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