After panicking, I postponed my jury duty summons.
If I’d known I could postpone up to two times, I’d have done it.
I didn’t know.
So.
I went in on a Monday like, “Okay, chances of me being called are slim. It’s okay. I can go home and sleep! Conk out with diphenhydramine and forget about my allergies and pain!”
I was put into a panel.
Ten years ago, I had a therapist’s letter excusing me from jury duty in Dallas County because of a dissociative disorder.
This time, I lacked the access to someone who comprehended complex trauma and dissociation, so I was stuck.
All my searching for what jury duty would be like turned up nothing, honestly.
This is my take. Hope it helps!
For the record, I live in Collin County, TX. Jury duty may be different elsewhere.
Responding to jury summons
🤷♀️ There are instructions on how to do this on your summons.
The questionnaire did not ask the questions I’d expected to be asked.
Think basic questions — my job, education level, political affiliation, gender, marital status, accommodations needed.
Choosing what to wear
I wore my work clothes…sort of. Black jeggings, grey shirt.
The jeggings are one size too big — previously two sizes too big — after washing them twice in heat, but my capri jeggings are worn at the seams.
Comfy shoes. Sling backpack.
VIVE thumb splint as a carpal tunnel syndrome brace, from when I did need a thumb splint. I wore it until about noon, probably.
Going to courthouse
Google Maps estimated a 20-minute route, but I was driving for about 30-40 minutes because of traffic…I got stuck at a light for almost 10 minutes!
I’d never been to the courthouse before, so I didn’t know what to expect of the parking. Ultimately, I backed into a spot nearest the exit — even if it was a huge walk.
I noticed other people arriving 5-10 minutes after the timestamp on my jury summons postcard, also carrying a postcard.
I thought,
“It’s not just me. They’re late, too. This is normal. It’s okay.”
Bag check
My turn at the bag check gave me pause. The website said we could have clear, plastic water bottles, but the sign said, “NO DRINKS ON CONVEYER BELT.”
I said, “Sorry, I’m autistic and don’t understand. The site said we could have water, but this sign says no water on the belt.”
The security guard replied, “Yes. It says no water on the belt. If you put water on the belt, we don’t know if it will open and spill out, so we don’t want to chance it. You can put it in the bowl.”
He did ask me if I had any mace or hairspray, then if I had an inhaler. If you have medications, they may ask about it.
The jury duty waiting room
We had the jury duty dude directing traffic so we knew where to go.
I sat in the waiting room about five minutes until the jury duty clerks came in to weed out people needing exemptions or disqualifications.
Then the panels start.
A guy sitting behind me said, after Panel #2 left, the room seats 600. There were about 320 people after exemptions and disqualifications, not that that many left.
Each panel had 50-55 people called. Of those 50ish potential jurors, only 12 will be selected.
About 30 people should be left after all the panels — so extremely small chance of you being dismissed from the waiting room.
I may be off with the numbers, but his maths comforted me.
Each panel of jurors are sent to a different case, meaning multiple cases are happening right now.
Panel selection
I was selected for a panel. My legal, deadname was called and away I went. Me, Juror #25, for the 401st District Court.
The bailiff asked us if anyone couldn’t walk up stairs. I can’t, so I was one of the people who used the elevator.
The escalator going up was broken, but I’d not have been able to do that anyways.
We had a short break before going into the courtroom.
Jury selection
In the courtroom, we first were asked if we recognized anyone. I only remember the name of the respondent’s lawyer.
Did anyone look familiar?
No idea. I don’t recognize faces.
I chose to keep my eyes on more aesthetic things, or a person, but I try to keep my looking at one person to a minimum because dissociation for me = creepy staring for others.
Not like I could doodle while I paid attention.
The petitioner’s legal representation went first, explaining the case a bit and focusing on the intricacies of the case and the law.
When asked a question, you have to stand and say your number for the court reporter.
Afterward, we had a 15-20-minute break.
Then we heard from the respondent’s legal representative. She focused on bias, asking us questions that challenged our ability to be impartial.
We were then offered to have either
- a short break, jury selection, then lunch/dismissal
- a lunch break, jury selection, then dismissal
We chose the short break, which I found humorous because it was nearly an hour-long wait.
More questions
The bailiff called a handful of numbers to wait to speak to the lawyers together, individually.
I was one of them.
On my turn, I was asked by the respondent’s rep about my ability to be impartial. I said I couldn’t be unbiased — couldn’t ignore my own experience to decide for the case.
Then the petitioner’s rep asked me if I could hold off on deciding the outcome until after hearing things…I think.
Like, if I could wait for the context…
I used an analogy to see if I understood.
Determining impartiality
Let’s say you’ve got a puzzle. You pull out all the pieces, start fitting the border together, then flip over the other pieces and maybe even sort them to solve the puzzle.
Impartiality is being able to solve the puzzle without the cover.
I don’t know how to put a puzzle together without having the cover…like, that is the whole point of the cover!
But an unbiased juror needs to be able to look at a case and the law without applying their humanity — their feelings, experience, etc. — to the case.
An impartial juror needs to be able to look at the context as-is, without their personal experience clouding the case.
Dismissal
We were called back in almost an hour later.
12 names were called, instructed to sit in the leather juror seats.
The rest of us were dismissed.
Collecting note for work
Afterward, I went downstairs — via the elevator, ’cause I don’t do escalators since almost dying from one — to collect my note to confirm I showed up.
I spent about 10 minutes re-finding the office because I didn’t know where it was. I was as good as lost, honestly.
If selected for jury
If selected and seated as a juror of the case, you begin that case that day unless the judge says otherwise.
After the case is presented, how long it takes is essentially up to the jury.
Family court cases can take a few days to a week. Unlike the movies or TV, they rarely take weeks to months.
Afterthoughts
- Jury duty doesn’t seem so bad. I’d have been able to serve if
- I could’ve been impartial (obviously).
- I wasn’t in so much pain (broken molar, pissed hip flexors, knee issues).
- Work wasn’t stressing me out.
- Healed more from trauma, not engaging in trauma responses or dissociative behaviors as a result of work stress.
- My advocacy work surrounding neurodiversity — and my experience — gives me perspective I think still needs talking about:
- autonomy and agency, especially for children
- psychological safety
- ways the justice system fails kids caught up in divorce (e.g. treating children like property)
- I would be okay to serve on a jury duty and even understand the importance of it now — if
- my policophobia was not an issue
- dissociation/trauma behaviors were not currently present
- I was a full-time blogger, with no other job, since I’d not be going to jury duty on my FRIDAY.
This was my experience of jury duty. Yours may be different.
Either way, I hope this helps make sense of it a bit since searching — and even AI overviews — are lacking in detailed personal experiences.
Like, I need to know the process(es) so I can anticipate everything.
Also, I went in nervous about my ability to be a juror and went out wondering how I could learn impartiality.
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