Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse

I'd like to thank columnist Maria Anglin for answering her jury summons and reporting to readers that jury service can be a positive experience ("A call to jury duty is not a bad thing," June 25). With her encouraging, civic-minded attitude, it's a shame she did not get chosen.

Unfortunately, in many Central Texas counties, nearly two-thirds of voters who receive a summons for jury duty ignore it. Completely. They don't respond, they don't show up, and they don't serve. So while 69 percent of Americans in a poll said they believe juries are the most important part of our legal system, the majority of Texans don't support this in their actions.

A new law, authored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, raised juror pay to at least $40 a day (after the first day of service) to make it more financially feasible for more Texans to serve. Employers also should do their part to encourage employees to participate in this important rite of democracy.

Next time you receive a jury summons, please answer it. It's a way each of us can bring fairness and balance to our civil justice system by listening to the facts and returning an impartial verdict.