SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County officials began mailing jury summonses to area residents one week ago -- the first time they’ve been sent since a moratorium on jury service was ordered in March 2020 amid coronavirus concerns.
Though the summonses include a date that recipients need to report to the courthouse, that doesn’t mean they go in person.
“When they report, they may do it online through Zoom, through virtual means,” Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel said Thursday. “There is going to be a link for them to click on and log in.”
After completing a questionnaire and asking questions they may have about jury service, including concerns about COVID-19, they will be given a date to report to the courthouse in person.
“The days of a large gathering of prospective jurors in the central jury room are a thing of the past,” Rangel says.
“When a juror finally reports to the courthouse for jury service, they’re going to go to a specific room where that jury service will be,” he continued.
The judge says all COVID-19 protocols will remain in place, with the public’s safety being top of mind.
“If things proceed the way we believe it’s going to proceed, then we’ll slowly start to ramp things up,” Rangel said.
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