SAN ANTONIO – In-person jury pools will resume in Bexar County in March, nearly three years after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
District Court Judge Ron Rangel and the Central Jury Committee announced on Wednesday that they will resume on March 6. People selected to serve on juries will soon receive notices to report in person, according to a news release.
In-person jury pools and trials were suspended in March 2020 due to the start of the pandemic. In July 2020, virtual jury pools were created to address the backlog of cases.
When the pandemic forced those changes, people summoned via mail were required to register online. They are then likely instructed to report through a Zoom call first, not to the Central Jury Room.
The new process was created to prevent a group of people from converging in the Central Jury Room at one time.
In the release, Rangel said they decided to return to in-person jury pools due to the decrease in COVID-19 infections.
“The pandemic demonstrated that we, as a County, are able to come together across departments to qualify jurors remotely via Zoom. This was necessary during that critical time in our history. We have now seen a significant decrease in the COVID-19 positivity rate and a reassuring number of vaccinated individuals. It’s time to get back to the courthouse,” he said.
Starting on March 6, the courts will have access to a jury panel Monday through Thursday.
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