If you have been summoned for Tom Green County jury duty, you report to the county courthouse at 112 W. Beauregard in San Angelo. You can respond to the summons online through the county’s Jury Response System or by mailing back the paper questionnaire that came with your notice. The rest of what you need to know — whether you qualify, whether you can be excused, what you will be paid, and what happens if you skip it — follows below.
How To Respond to Your Summons
Look at your summons first and find the court listed on it. Cases in Tom Green County are assigned to a District Court, a County Court at Law, or a Justice of the Peace court, and each sets its own reporting date and time.
The fastest way to answer is online through the Tom Green County Jury Response System. When you enter your Juror ID, drop any leading zeros from the number printed on the summons.1Tom Green County. Juror Information The portal lets you confirm attendance, request a postponement, or claim an exemption. If you would rather use paper, complete the questionnaire that arrived with your summons and mail it to the District Clerk. The form asks for your occupation, employer, marital status, education level, and whether you have previously served on a civil or criminal jury.2Tom Green County. Official Tom Green County Jury Summons Lost the questionnaire? A replacement is on the District Clerk’s website.
Who Does Not Have To Serve
Some people are disqualified from serving at all, and others qualify but can ask to be excused. Both are handled through the response you send back to the District Clerk.
Disqualifications
Texas Government Code Section 62.102 sets the baseline. You must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Texas and of Tom Green County, qualified to vote in the county, able to read and write, and of sound mind and good moral character. A felony conviction or a misdemeanor theft conviction disqualifies you, and so does being under indictment for either. You cannot serve if you are a witness in the case. And if you have already served six days as a petit juror in the preceding three months in county court, or six months in district court, you are disqualified from another panel.3State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.102 – General Qualifications for Jury Service
Exemptions You Can Claim
Qualifying for an exemption does not excuse you automatically. You have to request it, usually by signed statement or affidavit to the District Clerk. Section 62.106 recognizes these categories:4State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.106 – Exemption From Jury Service
- People 75 or older, who may decline any summons permanently and can still volunteer if they wish.
- Anyone with legal custody of a child under 12 whose service would leave the child without adequate supervision.
- Students enrolled in a public or private secondary school, or actually attending a college or university.
- The primary caretaker of a person who cannot care for themselves.
- Active-duty military deployed away from their home station and out of the county.
- Officers and employees of the Texas Senate, House of Representatives, or any legislative agency.
A separate provision, Section 62.109, covers a physical or mental impairment or an inability to communicate in English. The exemption can be permanent or temporary and requires a written affidavit, plus a physician’s statement if the basis is a physical or mental condition.5State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.109 – Exemption for Physical or Mental Impairment or Inability to Comprehend English Tom Green County publishes a downloadable form; mail or deliver it to Jury Services at 112 W. Beauregard, San Angelo, TX 76903.6Tom Green County. Affidavit for Exemption from Jury Duty for Physical Impairment or Disability
What Happens If You Ignore the Summons
Not showing up is treated as contempt of court under Texas law, as is knowingly giving false information on an exemption request. The fine runs from $100 to $1,000.7State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.0141 – Failure to Answer Jury Summons If you cannot make the date, use the response system to request a postponement rather than skipping.
What To Bring and What To Expect
Bring your summons, the juror questionnaire if you have not already submitted it, and a valid government-issued photo ID. Dress for a professional setting. Shorts, tank tops, and hats are not allowed in the courtroom.
At the courthouse you will go through security screening with a metal detector and an X-ray scan of your belongings. After that, check in with court staff in the assembly room so your attendance is recorded.
From the assembly room the pool moves to a courtroom for voir dire, where attorneys question prospective jurors to identify biases or connections to the case. Lawyers can strike jurors for cause or use a limited number of peremptory challenges to dismiss someone without stating a reason. If you are picked, you stay for the trial, which typically runs one to five days in county or district court, though complex cases can go longer. If you are not picked, you are released. Everyone who shows up gets paid.
Jury Pay and Your Job
Texas sets a minimum: not less than $20 for your first day of service and not less than $58 for each day after that.8Texas Courts. Jury Service in Texas Counties can pay more; Tom Green County typically pays at the statutory rates. Mileage reimbursement for travel to the courthouse may also be available. Jury pay is taxable income, reported on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. If your employer kept paying your salary during jury duty and required you to turn the stipend over, you can deduct the surrendered amount on Schedule 1 so the same money is not taxed twice.9Internal Revenue Service. Schedule 1 (Form 1040)
Your employer cannot fire you, threaten you, or punish you for answering the summons. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 122.001 protects permanent employees who serve on a jury in any court, and if you are discharged in violation of that law you have the right to return to the same position you held when summoned, provided you notify your employer as soon as practical after your release.10State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 122.001 – Protection of Jurors Employment Federal jury service has a parallel protection under 28 U.S.C. Section 1875, with liability for lost wages, a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, and a court order of reinstatement.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment
Neither federal nor Texas law requires a private employer to pay your regular wages while you serve. Some do so voluntarily. Salaried exempt employees under the FLSA have one extra protection: the employer can offset jury fees against salary but cannot drop pay below the salary basis just because the employee missed work for jury duty.12U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 17G – Salary Basis Requirement and the Part 541 Exemptions Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Spotting a Jury Duty Scam
Scammers call or email people claiming they missed jury duty and will be arrested unless they hand over personal information or pay a fine right away. It is always fraud. Legitimate courts contact prospective jurors through the U.S. mail, and no court will ask for your Social Security number or payment over the phone or by email.13United States Courts. Juror Scams If you get a suspicious message, do not provide any information. Call the Tom Green County District Clerk’s office directly to verify whether you actually have an outstanding summons, and report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission.