Who may be called to serve as a juror?
You may be called to serve if you are 18 years old, a U.S.
citizen and a resident of the county or district where summoned.
You must be able to understand English, and be physically and
mentally capable of serving. In addition, you must not have served
as any kind of juror in the past 12 months, nor have been
convicted of a felony.
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How did my name get selected for jury
duty?
The objective of the court is to provide an accurate
cross-section of the county's population. The names of jurors are
selected at random from lists of registered voters. The law also
allows that courts may use the names of all persons who have
drivers licenses or identification cards issued by the Department
of Motor Vehicles.
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How long will my name remain on a
list of prospective jurors?
Your name will remain on the county jury list for at least one
year. During that time, you may be called for jury duty at any
time.
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When I am summoned as a juror, what
should I do?
Read the summons. The summons which informed you that you were
selected as a prospective juror also includes important
information. The address, the date and the time will be written on
the summons.
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May I postpone my jury service to a convenient time?
Yes, you may request that your jury service be rescheduled to a more
convenient time. You may request a postponement by logging on to our E-juror website at
https://ejuror.alameda.courts.ca.gov/,
or by calling our IVR (Interactive Voice Response) service at (510) 729-8600.
You may postpone your service for as many as six months. You may only request postponement once.
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May I be excused from jury service?
You may request to be excused (limited conditions) by logging on to our E-juror website at
https://ejuror.alameda.courts.ca.gov/.
If you excuse is not allowed on E-juror you must complete the Jury Service Exemption/Excuse Form
portion of your summons, attach your verification and mail it back to us.
The only statutory exemption for occupation conflicts regards Law Enforcement
Officers as defined in Sec. 830.1 & 830.2(a) of California
Penal Code (CCP 219).
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Who pays for meals?
You do. Lunches are not provided during a trial, but are provided
during deliberations.
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How can I be a juror if my boss won't let
me take time off?
Section 230(a) of the California Labor Code reads:
No employer shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to serve as required by law on an inquest jury or trial jury, if the employee, prior to taking the time off, give reasonable notice to the employer that he or she is required to serve.
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What should I wear to court?
Dress as you would to go to a business meeting or a social
function. Do not wear shorts or tank tops. Check with the jury
commissioner if you have any doubts.
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Is there any special way I must act in
court?
Be alert and courteous. You may bring a book or newspaper to read
while you're waiting for court to begin, or during recesses, but
not while court is in session. While in a courtroom all cell phones and pagers should be turned off.
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How much of my day will jury service
take?
You should plan to attend court as a juror all day from
approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but the hours may vary depending on the court's
schedule. For your first day of jury duty, be sure to call the telephone number indicated on your summons to confirm when you are expected to appear.
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Why are there such long breaks and
lunch hours during a trial?
The judge may have to set the next day's calendar and dispose of
other cases. Attorneys may also need time to prepare their
witnesses and other aspects of the case.
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What happens if I'm late?
Contact the jury commissioner's office as soon as you know that
you are going to be late. If you are already assigned to a
courtroom, contact the jury commissioner's office or the clerk of
the court in order to explain your situation. Remember: The trial
cannot proceed until everyone is present. If you don't have a good
excuse, the judge may fine you for being late!
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May I take notes during the trial?
The practice varies from courtroom to courtroom, but usually note taking is allowed.
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May jurors ask questions during the
trial?
If you have a question, write it down on a piece of paper. Motion
for the bailiff or marshal, who will hand your question to the
judge. The judge will respond by writing a note back, by answering
directly from the bench or may indicate that trial procedures do
not allow that question to be answered at that time.
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Is it true that I must not discuss
the case with anyone while the trial is in progress?
Do not talk to anyone about the case until you are discharged
from the jury. Not even the lawyers or the judge, except through
the bailiff. Discussions with others can cause a mistrial because
the juror gained evidence outside the record or was influenced. If
any person persists in talking to you about the trial or attempts
to influence your judgment as a juror, tell the bailiff. During
deliberations at the end of the trial, of course, you will discuss
the case with other jurors in order to reach a verdict.
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May I investigate some parts of
the case that aren't presented by the attorneys - on my own time?
No. Under no circumstances should you investigate the case on
your own, either alone or without other jurors. You may not talk
to witnesses, or do independent experiments. Your verdict must be
based only on evidence produced in court. This rule prevents a
trial based on secret evidence. If you violate this rule, you
could cause a mistrial.
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Why do attorneys talk with the judge
out of the jurors' hearing?
If this happens, do not feel slighted or try to guess what is
being said. Such conferences are held to discuss legal issues, or
to agree upon what evidence may be submitted for you to consider.
These conferences often help expedite the trial or to avoid the
possibility of a mistrial.
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Who can I write with suggestions about
my jury service?
The presiding judge or jury commissioner of the court in which
you served.
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Can I transfer my service to another one of your court locations?
No, you cannot.
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What do I do if I received two summonses from two of your court locations?
Contact the court and let them know you have two summonses. You will have to report for jury duty to one of the court locations.
This occurs when either the DMV or Registrar of Voters has your name differently in their systems.
It could be just a middle initial missing or a maiden name not changed after marriage. Because our selection is random
and doesn't contain information such as social security number or dates of birth, the system has no
way of determining that you are one in the same person. This may happen more often unless you
contact these agencies and correct your name. You may contact the Registrar of Voters
office at (510) 272-6973 or your local DMV office.
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Why am I always being summoned and others are not?
The selection and management of jurors is governed by the Code of Civil Procedure.
By law, potential jurors are selected RANDOMLY from the Registration list and the Department of Motor Vehicles'
drivers and identification card holders. If the information you provide to these two sources is not identical
you may receive two summonses or you may be summoned more often than others.
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Can I send my spouse in my place?
You may not substitute someone else in your place for jury duty. The selection
process is done randomly and must stay that way.
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What should I do if I missed or forgot about my summons date?
Contact the court immediately to reschedule your summons date. By doing so you could
avoid receiving a failure to appear notification, court contempt hearing or possible
monetary penalties.
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