The 6th Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights attached to the Constitution of the United States, sets forth the rights of the accused in criminal proceedings: a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, the location of the trial in the area where the crime took place, full notification of the prosecution charges, a confrontation with witnesses for the prosecution, compulsory methods to obtain favorable witnesses, and the assistance of counsel for his defense. In order for justice to prevail, the jury process must be well organized and efficient.

One of the main functions of the office of the District Clerk is the supervision of the jury duty process. The Central Jury Room is located across the District Clerk's Office and operates under the direction of Webb County District Clerk Esther Degollado. The deputy clerks at the Central Jury Room work hard to make sure the citizens' jury duty obligation is fulfilled and to make the experience educational about how our judicial system functions. The duties that this department performs are complex and varied. First of all, prospective juror lists are created. Prospective jurors are people with a valid Texas Driver's License, Texas Identification Card, and/or Voter Registration Card. From these lists, panels are created and jury summons are sent out to fill jury needs for petit and grand juries, as well as juries needed for Justice of the Peace courts. Once jurors are summoned, they are gathered at the Central Jury Room to await further instructions. After jurors are qualified, they are dispersed and sent to different courts for further jury services. Once the court has selected a jury, the remaining jurors are sent back to Central Jury Room if they are needed, after which they will be dismissed. Once a juror has served, a Certificate of Service is issued as proof of jury service. The staff at the Central Jury Room is also responsible for processing and printing checks to pay jurors for their service.