Jury selection resumes Friday for in-person trials in Bexar County
500 prospective jurors to be interviewed remotely on Friday, in-person trials to begin Tuesday
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SAN ANTONIO – After a 13-month delay, in-person jury trials will begin Tuesday in Bexar County.
A moratorium on jury service was ordered 13 months ago due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
In preparation for the trials, the juror qualification process will begin on Friday.
”We’re going to qualify up to 500 people through virtual means,” Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel said Thursday. ”They’re all going to appear on computer screens and I’m going to talk to them through a computer screen. The panelists will be questioned, and concerns and exemptions will be discussed.”
Masks will continue to be required in Bexar County courtrooms despite new CDC guidelines
Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel to follow Texas Supreme Court guidance
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SAN ANTONIO – Anyone entering a Bexar County courtroom next month when in-person jury trials begin will be required to wear a mask despite new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionthat allows fully vaccinated people to stop wearing them in most indoor settings.
“We are going to continue with the minimum standard protocols that I have already filed,” Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel said Friday.
In addition to wearing masks, social distancing will also be practiced in courtrooms, Rangel said.
Bexar County district court judge prepares for return of live jury trials
Efficiency key to addressing case backlog, 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza says
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SAN ANTONIO – In-person jury trials will resume next month in Bexar County, ending a 15-month moratorium on jury service and the return of busy courtrooms as judges begin to address a huge case backlog as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
”What I have started to do is narrow down the cases that are going to be a priority,” 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza said Tuesday.
Meza has begun conducting in-person pretrial hearings in cases that she plans to try initially.
Jury trial schedule for Bexar County released
All 44 Bexar County courts included; judge describes schedule as complex
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Jury trial schedule for Bexar County released
SAN ANTONIO – A schedule for returning to jury trials, both in-person proceedings and virtual, has been presented to all 44 Bexar County judges.
The schedule includes all 44 criminal, civil and misdemeanor courts.
“The process itself is confusing and complicated, but at the same time it’s going to be more efficient,” Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel, who put the schedule together, said Monday. “Every single day there will be six different jury trials that will be started. Four live jury trials and two virtual trials on the civil side.”
Recently mailed Bexar County jury summonses include changes
Initial response from jurors will be done virtually
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Recently mailed Bexar County jury summonses include changes
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.”