The Williamson County District Clerk's Office and Technology Services Department have been awarded the 2023 Tyler Excellence Award for the implementation of Enterprise Jury Manager by Tyler Technologies. Office staff were recognized by the Commissioners Court for their achievement during their meeting on Tuesday, July 18.
The offices started implementing Tyler’s Jury Manager System (JMS) in December of 2020, while facing challenges posed by the coronavirus. The courts needed to find a way to continue to schedule jury trials while also taking important steps to protect the health of court staff, attorneys, witnesses and the public.
“Online jury has been a topic for many years and during the COVID pandemic, we had to move into a more efficient way to safely serve the citizens and the judiciary. In the past we were unable to communicate changes to the jury, only to have them drive to the Justice Center to be told their service is not needed, “ said Williamson County District Clerk Lisa David. “We are saving county money and the citizens time if they are not needed prior to showing up for jury. As the Jury Manager for Williamson County and our team from the IT Department , I am very honored to receive this award.“
Tyler’s Jury Manager System (JMS) handles the jury pool management selection for 15 courts. The new system allows the courts to qualify potential jurors before they arrive at the courthouse. Not only does this reduce unnecessary foot traffic, but the system saves the county thousands of dollars each year. Now, only the qualified jurors selected per panel to appear are paid for jury duty, instead of the 200 to 300 that normally appear for jury selection each week.
The system is more convenient for potential jurors by allowing them to respond to their summons online. In addition, the system allows the courts to maintain constant communication with all jury panels and inform them of last-minute changes in location, reporting times or dismissals.