Jury Service:
  • Cases heard by the Vidor Municipal Court are Class C criminal misdemeanor violations that are punishable by a fine only.  
  • Jurors are randomly selected from Orange county tax lists.  If selected, jury service is normally for only one (1) day.  
  • Jury trials are held three (3) to four (4) times per year on average.  
  • Jurors are paid $6.00 per day for jury service, or may choose to donate their pay to one of two charitable organizations. 
Juror Rights and Responsibilities:
Right to Re-Employment:  A private employer may not terminate the employment of a permanent employee because the employee serves as a juror. 
  • An employee whose employment is terminated in violation of this section is entitled to return to the same employment that the employee held when summoned for jury service if the employee, as soon as practical after release from jury service, gives the employer actual notice that the employee intends to return:  (Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Section 122.001).  
  • Terminating an employee for performing jury duty is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $200.00 (Civil Practice and Remedies Code, 122.002).
     
Failure to Answer Juror Summons and Penalties:
 Any person summoned who fails to attend or who fails to remain in attendance until discharged by the Court may be fined an amount not to exceed $100 for contempt (Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 45.027).  Additionally, a person shall be fined not less than $10.00 or more than $100.00 if the person: 
  • Fails to attend Court in obedience to the notice without reasonable excuse; or
  • Files a false claim of exemption from jury service (Gov. Code Section 62.111).  In addition, any person that knowingly provides false information in a request for exemption to be excused from jury service is subject to a contempt fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $1,000.00 (Gov. Code Section 62.0140).
All Jurors must comply with the Court’s dress code when appearing for Jury service.

 QUALIFICATIONS FOR JURY SERVICE  (Gov. Code Sec. 62.102)

To serve as a juror you must meet the following Qualifications:

EXEMPTIONS FROM JURY SERVICE  (Gov. Code Sec. 62.106)

 You may be excused from jury service if:

1.  Be at least 18 years of age;

2.  Be a citizen / resident of the City of Vidor, Orange County, Texas;

3.  Be qualified under the Constitution and laws to vote in the county in which you are to serve as a juror. (Note: you DO NOT have to be registered to vote to be qualified to vote);

4.  Be of sound mind and good moral character;

5.  Be able to read and to write;

6.  Not have served as a juror for six days during the preceding six (6) months in the County Court or during the preceding six (6) months in the District Court;

7.  Not have been convicted of theft or any felony;

8.  Not be under indictment or other legal accusation of a misdemeanor theft, felony theft or any other felony charge.

1.  You are over 70 years of age;

2.  You have legal custody of a child less than 15 years of age and jury service would require leaving the child unsupervised;

3.  You are a student at a public or private high school;

4.  You are enrolled and attend college;

5.  You are an officer or an employee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of Government;

6.  You are the primary caretaker of  a person who is an invalid unable to care for himself or herself (this exemption does not apply to health care workers);

7.  You are a member of the U.S. military forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from your home station and out of your country of residence. 

 

*You are not required to claim an exemption. 


  It is your choice.

Representing Yourself In Court
It is always best to have a lawyer. The law and court proceedings are complicated, and lawyers have legal training. A lawyer can help you understand your rights and options and help get the best result possible in your case. Sometimes even simple matters can have consequences that you are not aware of or do not understand.

If you are representing yourself in a case, or thinking about doing so, the following links may help you:

Court Dress Code

Court check in begins 30 minutes prior to the session time. Dress code is strictly enforced. Click the following link for Courtroom dress code and decorum (rules).
Defendants that arrive late or are not dressed appropriately will be rescheduled.


pdf Court Dress Code
pdf Courtroom Rules

Legal Advice

The Municipal Court cannot give legal advice of any nature.

Court personnel are allowed to explain Court proceedings and procedures regarding misdemeanor cases filed in this Court only.

 If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney.