Here’s What Jury Duty Looks Like in Lubbock, Texas

Recently, I had the honor of serving jury duty in Lubbock. As it was my first time, I wanted to share some things about the process that may be helpful for others.

I also want to preface this by saying that not all jury duty processes are the same. This just happened to be my experience at the time, but you can bet that yours will probably be similar.

License to Judge

First, you can register online by following the instructions on your official petit jury summons letter.

After you receive a text and/or email informing you that you've been assigned, you now make your way to the jury pool building. As you head in, you give the bailiff your name in exchange for a number. DON'T FORGET THAT NUMBER. That number is your identity for the remainder of the day.

TIP: Leave your water bottle, purse, hat, basically anything extra on you besides wallet, phone, and car keys. This will make the entire process go much smoother down the road so the judge doesn't have to wait on you to drop your things off.

A Journey to Crickets Avenue in Lubbock

Do you remember middle school where the teachers had you sitting down, lining up and following the line leader? Yeah, it's exactly like that. After getting your juror number, you head into the massive waiting room on Crickets Ave with 70-100 other citizens who are just a thrilled as you are to be there.

For me, it took just over an hour and 15 minutes to finally be ready to head over to to the courthouse a few blocks away. Remember what I said about middle school? Well, all 70 of you will walk in a single-file line down the sidewalk, not crossing streets unless the bailiff is there to make sure traffic stops (I'm sure if you ask nicely, he'll hold your hand, too).

We'll See You in Court

Once you get to the courthouse, you'll never guess, more waiting! You all then shuffle in and wait in the hallway outside of the courtroom--all 70 of you ranging from age 18 to 80. Once seated, you get to sit through an hour-long presentation of how the judicial process works in America, along with some details about your current case.

Then, everyone's favorite time: lunch! After about a 90-minute lunch break, you meet back at the courthouse to... you guessed it, wait some more! A good 30 minutes passes before the judge moves forward with the case. Unfortunately, the defendant in my case accepted a plea bargain which meant that all of us jurors were no longer needed.

IF we had moved forward with the case, the lawyers and prosecuting attorneys would have dwindled the jury pool down to 12 jurors that they hand pick. It is these 12 that will stick around for however many days the trial takes to conclude. Between them all, they would decide the fate of the defendant, whether they're guilty or not and what punishment fits their crime.

Another helpful tip is to stick around right after and request a pass from the bailiff. This sheet of paper is your 'doctor's note' for school, work, or an untrusting spouse. It states the date, time, and reason for your absence as a juror.