Required to answer what religion on TX juror questionnaire?

[carpetbagger]

I can't find any legal information on this.

[Thomas Hurt]

1. I was in jury selection last year in TX, no one asked that question.

[carpetbagger]

4. It's a question on my Kerr County questionnaire.

It might be to accommodate religious holidays, but I try to keep my Unitarianism under wraps here.

[Thomas Hurt]

6. Mine wasn't close to any holidays, so you could be correct. Still seems sketchy though.

[dweller]

2. Don't want to serve ?

Satanism …








✌🏻

[carpetbagger]

7. My half-sister being a cop should do the trick.

But Unitarianism should work as well as Satanism, it's about as well regarded out here.

[sheshe2]

9. ...

[walkingman]

3. Check out this link....

https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/sites/txs/files/Form%2017_Juror%20Questionnaire.pdf

[carpetbagger]

5. Thanks, but that's federal.

My questionnaire is for service on a state district court.

[Tetrachloride]

8. My employer doesn't allow me to say

[RockRaven]

10. Texas is one of those "shithole" places where religious tests are baked into the constitution.

Article 1 Section 4 of the Texas state constitution reads:

"Art 1 - Sec 4
Article 1 - BILL OF RIGHTS
Section 4 - RELIGIOUS TESTS
No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."


Of course, being a juror isn't an "office." Whether or not it counts as a "public trust" is something a lawyer or con law person (i.e. not me) could tell you.

Nevertheless, you could invoke the principle and say "I meet the criteria of Article 1 Section 4 of the Texas Constitution. That's all I have to tell you! I know my rights!!!" Whether or not you want to fuck around with that kind of response is something only you can answer.

[carpetbagger]

12. My goal is to lay low.

I'd prefer to ride out my time here (3.5 more years) without making any waves. The district judge makes sure everyone knows his religion, at least outside the courtroom. I may just use the nonspecific term "congregationalist".

[Skittles]

11. I have never been asked that question

and I have been questioned for several Texas juries

[carpetbagger]

13. In the end, I think the prosecutor didn't want a doctor with an elderly practice on the jury

I read about the case after getting dismissed from the jury pool. Took them 9 years to get this old guy declared somewhat-not-insane to stand trial for murder.

In the end, I put down Quaker, the last few times I went to a church-like thing it was with my Quaker girlfriend. It's about as close to Zen Buddhism (if I had a choice in the hospital I'd probably ask for a Zen priest) as one can get without enticing people to proselytize.