Jury Duty

A person is qualified to serve as a juror if that person:

• is at least 18 years of age;
• be a citizen of the United States;
• is a resident of Grimes County.
• is qualified under the constitution and laws to vote in the county in which one is to serve as a juror. (you do not have to be a registered voter to serve)
• is of sound mind and good moral character;
• is able to read and write;
• has not served as a petit juror for 6 days during the preceding 3 months in a county court or during the preceding 6 months in a district court.
• has not been convicted of a misdemeanor theft or any felony; and
• is not under indictment or other legal accusation for a theft or any felony.

A person called for jury service may be excused from jury duty in certain circumstances. These reasons for exemption do not disqualify you from serving; even though you may qualify for an exemption you do not have to claim the exemption, but certain circumstances can impose considerable hardship for some people. If any of the exemptions apply, and you wish to claim the exemption, you must complete the form, check off the applicable exemption listed on the back of the summons and return the summons to the Grimes County District Clerk or County Clerk's Office.  You will not need to appear unless you receive notice the exemption was denied. You will not receive confirmation if an exemption is accepted.

You may be exempted from jury service if:

• you are over 75 years of age; (effective Sept. 1, 2023)
• you have legal custody of of a child or children younger than twelve (12) years of age and service on the jury would require leaving the child or children without adequate supervision.
• you are a student at a public or private high school;
• you are enrolled and in actual attendance at an institution of higher education;
• you are an officer or an employee of the senate, house of representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state government.
• you are the primary caretaker of a person who is unable to care for himself or herself.     (This  exemption does not apply to health care workers) 
• you are a member of the United States military forces serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from your home station and out of your county of residence.

Scammers have been making calls to Grimes County residents claiming to be a Sergeant or Lieutenant with the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office or even a Judge with the District or County Courts (They use the accurate name of a judge or rank of the officers.) The scammer aggressively claims the resident has failed to show up for jury duty and owes a fine that must be paid immediately in order to avoid being arrested.

The Grimes County Sheriff’s Office or any Grimes County Judge will never call residents regarding jury duty, nor will they ask for payment via wire transfer or gift cards. If you receive a suspicious phone call from someone demanding payment, do not hesitate to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 936-873-6499 to verify the validity of that call before giving anyone money.

These scammers are diligently being pursued by national law enforcement agencies.