What Should I Do If I Receive a Jury Summons?
Click here for information on what to do when you receive a Superior Court Jury Summons.
Jury Qualifications
To qualify for jury duty, you must:
1. Be a citizen of the United States;
2. Be able to read and understand basic English;
3. Be a resident of the County of Los Angeles;
4. Be at least 18 years old; and
5. Not have been convicted of a felony or malfeasance in office. (If your rights have been restored by a pardon, or your record has been expunged, you may serve on a jury if you are otherwise qualified)
What You Should Do/Know Before You Appear
1. Contact your employer employer (your supervisor at work or your human resources representative) and let them know you have been summoned for jury service.
2. Call the 1-800-SRV-JURY (1-800-778-5879) to register for jury duty upon receiving your summons.
3. Call the 1-800-778-5879 number (have your JID and PIN Number handy) beginning the weekend prior to your service date to find out if you are needed to appear. If you are not needed to appear on that particular day, you should go to work as scheduled.
4. Dress respectfully – business casual attire is suggested. Shorts, tank tops, bare midriffs, clothing with inappropriate graphics, logos, or wording are not allowed in the courtroom.
5. We suggest that you leave your home early enough to allow yourself time to find the parking location, court, and get through the building’s security screening. Knives, scissors, weapons, or any other sharp objects are not permitted in any courthouse.
Payment
You will be paid $15.00 a day beginning on the second day of service, whether you are serving on a case or in the assembly room and available to be assigned to a case, plus $0.34 a mile one way, for mileage. The exception to this is a juror who is employed by a federal, state, or local government entity, or any other public entity as defined in California Code of Civil Procedures Section 481.200, and receives regular compensation and benefits while performing jury service. Jurors who are employed by such entities may not be paid pursuant to (California Code of Civil Procedure Sec. 215.
Checks for jury service are computed at the completion of service and are mailed to you at your home address. Checks should be received within a few days after you complete service.
If you are serving on a case and are not required to report for a day or several days, you will not receive jury fees.
Questions regarding jury checks should be directed to jury payroll staff at (213) 974-5806.
Certification Of Jury Service
A form certifying the number of days you performed jury service will be provided to you by the jury staff at the completion of your service. If you require a weekly certification for your employer, you may request it from the jury staff.
Absences
If you have been sworn as a juror on a trial, you must report any absences directly to the courtroom. You will be given the courtroom telephone number when assigned by the court clerk. Please keep this number handy until the trial is completed or you are excused.
If you are serving on a case and are not required to report for a day or several days, you will not receive jury fees, credit for service, or written verification of service for those days.
You are expected to return to work, or notify your employer, any day or days you are not required to report for jury service.
Emergency
If a general emergency occurs, such as an earthquake, flood, fire, call 1-800-778-5879 (1-800-SRV-JURY) for instructions concerning jury service.
You will find information on the juror telephone call-in program, telephone numbers, and parking information on the location page for the courthouse to which you are reporting.
Dress Code
Dress code should be business casual, but respectful of the court. Do not wear shorts, halter or tank tops, clothing that exposes the midriff, beachwear, sandals, t-shirts with inappropriate graphics or wordings.
Security
When you enter the courthouse, you will go through a metal detector. Your handbag, briefcase, backpack, and any containers may be x-rayed. Any kind of objects like metal knitting needles, scissors, nail clippers, pocket knives, and any kind of weapons, are not permitted and will be confiscated. The security policy of the court precludes the use of electronic recording devices inside the courthouse, except in designated media areas. The use of cameras, camera phones and recording devices inside the courtroom is prohibited. Security officers might keep items they think are hazardous. If you have forbidden items, you may be asked to leave the courthouse and return without them. Alcoholic beverages are also not permitted.
Discrimination By An Employer
Section 230 Of The Labor Code States:
"(a) 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 such employee, prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he is required to serve.
(b) No employer shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to appear in court as a witness as required by law, if such employee, prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he is required to appear in court.
(c) Any employee who is discharged, threatened with discharge, demoted, suspended, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of such employment by his employer because such employee has taken time off to serve on an inquest or trial jury or to appear in court as a witness shall be entitled to reinstatement and reimbursement for lost wages and work benefits caused by such acts of the employer. Any employer who willfully refuses to rehire, promote, or otherwise restore an employee or former employee who has been determined to be eligible for such rehiring or promotion by a grievance procedure, arbitration, or hearing authorized by law, is guilty of a misdemeanor."
For more information, go to the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement website.
Jury Laws and Rules
All of the laws and rules governing jury service in California were enacted into law by your California legislators. Click here for additional information on jury legislation or contacting your representative.
Request For Special Accommodation
Assistive Listening System (ALS)
Portable Assistive Listening Systems (ALS) are available and may be requested from courtroom staff.
Interpreter Services
Jurors requiring a sign language interpreter must contact the Jury Coordinator at (888) 354-0441 (TTY) to coordinate their jury duty and the sign language interpreter services.
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD)
Hearing Impaired Jurors must contact the Court’s Telephone Center using Dialogue Text Telephone (TDD/TTY) No. 1-888-354-0441. This line has been installed to arrange for special interpreter services, or for any questions relating to jury service.
Mobility Impairment
Mobility Impaired Jurors with disabilities may request accommodation by contacting the court at the assembly room phone number on your summons or by reviewing the Jury Location web page.
Request for Accommodations by Persons with Disabilities and Response
Links To Other Sites
Click here for information about Federal jury duty.
Click here for general information about the California jury system.
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