District Court Docket

[Horn_Spanker 524]

I've got jury duty on Monday.  Curious to see what case I might get, I searched the Travis County docket schedule.  Selected the court, chose next week, and about 50 hits came up all with a Friday 02/14 date.  Nothing listed for Monday 02/10? (or any other day besides Friday)

How do you read this docket and what does no cases on 02/10 mean?

[TwiceHorn 31511]

2 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

I've got jury duty on Monday.  Curious to see what case I might get, I searched the Travis County docket schedule.  Selected the court, chose next week, and about 50 hits came up all with a Friday 02/14 date.  Nothing listed for Monday 02/10? (or any other day besides Friday)

How do you read this docket and what does no cases on 02/10 mean?

It is possible that court does a trial docket call on the prior Friday so that housekeeping matters are out of the way and they can start fast on the following Monday with jury selection.

So, you could look at 2/7 and maybe get an idea.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Found the case.  Have read every document I could find, Facebooked and background checked every person involved (even the lawyers).  My mind is make up.  Do lawyers and prosecutors want informed jurors or people without a clue?

Do the parking meters around the courthouse still take change?  Or, do I have to figure out how to use the credit card machines?

 

[Hornius Emeritus 12478]

16 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Found the case.  Have read every document I could find, Facebooked and background checked every person involved (even the lawyers).  My mind is make up.  Do lawyers and prosecutors want informed jurors or people without a clue?

Do the parking meters around the courthouse still take change?  Or, do I have to figure out how to use the credit card machines?

 

He's guilty as hell, right?

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Just now, Hornius Emeritus said:

He's guilty as hell, right?

Stick him under the jail!

 

[TwiceHorn 31511]

19 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Found the case.  Have read every document I could find, Facebooked and background checked every person involved (even the lawyers).  My mind is make up.  Do lawyers and prosecutors want informed jurors or people without a clue?

Do the parking meters around the courthouse still take change?  Or, do I have to figure out how to use the credit card machines?

 

How do you know you found the case?

Dunno how it works in Travis, but in Dallas and Tarrant Counties, it's just a cattle call, your court and your case are not decided until after you show up.  Once I got called to the civil courthouse and sent over to the criminal.  That's highly unusual as they usually have a cattle call for each.

Also, most state district courts will have a half dozen or more cases set for jury trial on the same day.  The top ones are likely to settle or not be able to go for a variety of reasons; it's a real crapshoot which case you will get.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

I've already been assigned the court.  The calendar updated, and there is only one case on Monday for that court.

[torre 1286]

32 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Found the case.  Have read every document I could find, Facebooked and background checked every person involved (even the lawyers).  My mind is make up.  Do lawyers and prosecutors want informed jurors or people without a clue?

Do the parking meters around the courthouse still take change?  Or, do I have to figure out how to use the credit card machines?

 

https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk/jury-duty/faq

 

If Travis Cty,  check the above.    If different county, google.

You have eliminated yourself by doing research if you are selected for that particular case. (if you are not joking about the research)

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Not joking, under which heading did you see that info?

 

[torre 1286]

10 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Not joking, under which heading did you see that info?

 

Normally,  you will be questioned by the attorneys during the empanelling process concerning your knowledge of the case.

[TwiceHorn 31511]

18 minutes ago, torre said:

Normally,  you will be questioned by the attorneys during the empanelling process concerning your knowledge of the case.

Yep.  That apparently is what's called a "special setting" when there's only one case on the docket for that week.  Still probably a decent chance it settles, but otherwise it's a no-excuses deal for the attorneys and the parties.

If anyone finds out that you have researched the case, you will be challenged for cause and removed from the panel.  It's probably best that you tell the judge that you didn't know any better and was told that you had better tell someone.  You are now officially biased.

Edited February 8, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[tantric superman 4667]

I hope if you ever get a jury trial it's a shitty jury.

[Bob Lives! 915]

The idea is that you’re supposed to hear the evidence and testimony in court. That way it’s under oath and deemed admissible for your consideration by the judge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Prepuce of Doom 21094]

On 2/8/2020 at 2:31 PM, Horn_Spanker said:

Found the case.  Have read every document I could find, Facebooked and background checked every person involved (even the lawyers).  My mind is make up.  Do lawyers and prosecutors want informed jurors or people without a clue?

I applaud you on your successful troll thread, but this defies belief and logic. 

[TwiceHorn 31511]

This is a great way to get off jury duty if you want.  Time consuming, and the odds of digging up the right case are slim in most circumstances, but if you pull it off, you're off.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

Nowhere did I say I was trying to get out of the service.  I just Googled too much.

[TwiceHorn 31511]

Didn't say you did.  Although I wondered.  In the event you make it to the voir dire panel, if you aren't questioned about it, I think the interests of justice require that you tell the judge what you did,

[HouTex 1887]

Can you honestly tell the judge that you can disregard what you read and consider only the evidence admitted in court? If so, you may be rehabilitated. One side could still strike you though.

[TwiceHorn 31511]

2 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Can you honestly tell the judge that you can disregard what you read and consider only the evidence admitted in court? If so, you may be rehabilitated. One side could still strike you though.

That's certainly possible and the way it goes.  But I would argue to the judge that if he did this during trial there would be no rehabilitation, he would be dismissed and for good reason:  that's the kind of specific bias that someone can't completely put out of their head.

[conVINCEd 21469]

17 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

This is a great way to get off jury duty if you want.  Time consuming, and the odds of digging up the right case are slim in most circumstances, but if you pull it off, you're off.

Or, if it’s a civil case, you could just tell them you work for an insurance company.  It’s a pretty small sample size, but this has been 100% effective for me.

*you should only do this if you actually work for an insurance company.

[elfenix 34330]

flip side: tell them you think all insurance companies are cheats and you self-insure

 

edit: only do this if you self-insure

Edited February 10, 2020 by elfenix