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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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GOVERNMENT CODE |
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Title 2. JUDICIAL BRANCH |
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Subtitle E. JURIES |
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Chapter 62. PETIT JURIES |
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Subchapter A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
Sec. 62.001. JURY SOURCE; RECONSTITUTION OF JURY WHEEL
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(a) The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the source:
(1) the names of all persons on the current voter registration lists from all the precincts in the county; and
(2) all names on a current list to be furnished by the Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county who:
(A) hold a valid Texas driver's license or a valid personal identification card or certificate issued by the department; and
(B) are not disqualified from jury service under Section 62.102(1), (2), or (7).
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the names of persons listed on a register of persons exempt from jury service may not be placed in the jury wheel, as provided by Sections 62.108 and 62.109.
(c) Each year not later than the third Tuesday in November or the date provided by Section 16.032, Election Code, for the cancellation of voter registrations, whichever is earlier, the voter registrar of each county shall furnish to the secretary of state a current voter registration list from all the precincts in the county that, except as provided by Subsection (d), includes:
(1) the complete name, mailing address, date of birth, voter registration number, and precinct number for each voter;
(2) if available, the Texas driver's license number or personal identification card or certificate number and social security number for each voter; and
(3) any other information included on the voter registration list of the county.
(d) The list required by Subsection (c) may exclude, at the option of the voter registrar of each county, the names of persons on the suspense list maintained under Section 15.081, Election Code.
(e) The voter registrar shall send a list of the names of persons excluded to the secretary of state with the list required by Subsection (c).
(f) The Department of Public Safety shall furnish a list to the secretary of state that shows the names required under Subsection (a)(2) and that contains any of the information enumerated in Subsection (c) that is available to the department, including citizenship status and county of residence. The list shall exclude the names of convicted felons, persons who are not citizens of the United States, persons residing outside the county, and the duplicate name of any registrant. The department shall furnish the list to the secretary of state on or before the first Monday in October of each year.
(g) The secretary of state shall accept the lists furnished as provided by Subsections (c) through (f). The secretary of state shall combine the lists, eliminate duplicate names, and send the combined list to each county on or before December 31 of each year or as may be required under a plan developed in accordance with Section 62.011. The district clerk of a county that has adopted a plan under Section 62.011 shall give the secretary of state notice not later than the 90th day before the date the list is required. The list furnished the county must be in a format, electronic or printed copy, as requested by the county and must be certified by the secretary of state stating that the list contains the names required by Subsections (c) through (f), eliminating duplications. The secretary of state shall furnish the list free of charge.
(h) If the secretary of state is unable to furnish the list as provided in this section because of the failure of the voter registrar to furnish the county voter registration list to the secretary of state, the county tax assessor-collector, sheriff, county clerk, and district clerk in the county shall meet at the county courthouse between January 1 and January 15 of the following year and shall reconstitute the jury wheel for the county, except as provided under a plan adopted under Section 62.011. The deadlines included in the plan control for preparing the list and reconstituting the wheel. The secretary of state shall send the list furnished by the Department of Public Safety as provided by Subsection (f) to the voter registrar, who shall combine the lists as described in this section for use as the juror source and certify the combined list as required of the secretary of state under Subsection (g).
(i) The commissioners court may, instead of using the method provided by Subsections (c) through (h), contract with another governmental unit or a private person to combine the voter registration list with the list furnished by the Department of Public Safety. Subsections (c) through (h) do not apply to a county in which the commissioners court has contracted with another governmental unit or a private person under this subsection. The Department of Public Safety may not charge a fee for furnishing a list under this subsection. Each list must contain the name, date of birth, address, county of residence, and citizenship status of each person listed. If practical, each list must contain any other information useful in determining if the person is qualified to serve as a juror.
(j) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), in a county with a population of 250,000 or more, the names of persons who are summoned for jury service in the county and who appear for service must be removed from the jury wheel and may not be maintained in the jury wheel until the third anniversary of the date the person appeared for service or until the next date the jury wheel is reconstituted, whichever date occurs earlier. This subsection applies regardless of whether the person served on a jury as a result of the summons.
(k) In reconstituting the jury wheel, the county or district clerk shall update jury wheel cards to reflect addresses that have been changed as provided by Section 62.0146.