Follow the reporting instructions on the summons. The online Juror Portal allows summoned jurors to request an excuse or disqualification from service, request a postponement or request or transfer service to a more convenient location. To request a transfer or postponement over the phone, please call (619) 844-2800 for recorded information and automated prompts available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; jury services staff can answer phone inquiries from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. Excusal requests are not accepted over the phone, please submit any excusal requests online or by coming in-person to the courthouse.
Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 209, any prospective juror who has been summoned for jury service and who fails to appear as directed, or who fails to respond to the Court, may be found in contempt of Court and may be placed in custody and/or fined.
California law says you are qualified to be a juror if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are living in the State of California
- Are a resident of the county that sent you the jury summons
- Are not currently on parole, post release community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony
- Are not currently incarcerated in prison or jail
- Are not currently required to register as a sex offender
- Can understand English enough to understand and discuss the case
- Are not currently on a grand jury or on another trial jury
- Are not under a conservatorship
If you do not meet all of the qualifications listed above, please complete the Disqualification Section online Juror Portal. You will only be notified if your excuse is not granted.
Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 204(a), no one is exempt because of his or her occupation, economic status, race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, disability, or for any other reason.
You have been summoned for one day or one trial. Most jury trials last 3 - 7 days, but some may go longer. The trial judge will advise you of the length of the trial. If you are assigned to a case, you will be required to serve until the trial is completed.
Generally, if you are not selected for a trial, your jury service will be completed in one day. The day that you report for jury service, you may be assigned to more than one courtroom to go through the selection process. Upon completion of your jury duty, you will be exempt from jury service for one year. If you were a sworn juror on a trial, and receive a Summons for Jury Service within three years, you may request to be excused.
Yes, you may postpone your service for up to six months from your reporting date. If you are seeking a postponement, please visit the online Juror Portal or you can call (619) 844-2800 to postpone over the phone if you are still eligible to postpone. You must have your juror ID number in order to access your records.
Summoned jurors are also permitted to report for jury duty up to two weeks before or two weeks after your summoned reporting date, as long as jurors are called in for duty. Jurors are summoned to the Central Courthouse daily Monday-Thursday. For other locations, please review the Telephone Standby page to confirm if jurors are ordered to report to that location. If jurors have not been called to report in-person, you will not be able to walk-in for jury service.
Yes. Call (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday, to speak with a Deputy Jury Commissioner.
Excuse requests are considered on an individual basis. The request must explain why a postponement of jury service will not solve the problem. If you are seeking to be excused, please visit the online Juror Portal request an excuse. You will only be notified if your excuse is not granted. Excusal requests are not accepted over the phone, please submit any excusal requests online or by coming in-person to the courthouse.
Students are not exempt from jury duty. You may request a postponement of your service to the next school break. We strongly recommend that you consult your school calendar before postponing your service.
The court does not notify those who are excused or disqualified. The court only notifies those whose excuse is not acceptable under law. If you do not hear from the court, consider yourself excused, or you may call (619) 844-2800 approximately two weeks after your request or you may also check your status on the online Juror Portal.
If you request a postponement over the phone or through the online Juror Portal, you will choose a date convenient for you to serve and the court will mail you a new summons approximately one month prior to the new date.
Employers are not required by law to compensate employees on jury duty. However, many employers do pay their employees for jury service. It is advisable to check with your employer regarding the company's jury duty policy. Minor hardships or inconveniences to an employer are not legal reasons to be excused from jury service. However, you may request to be postponed to a more convenient time.
If serving on jury duty will create an extreme financial hardship, visit the online Juror Portal to request an excuse. You must provide your employer's name, phone number, number of days you are paid while on jury duty, and describe in detail how jury service will cause an extreme financial hardship.
Labor Code section 230(a) provides that an employer may not 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, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he or she is required to serve.
Time sheets will be provided to clock in and out to give your employer an exact accounting of your time at court. Time sheets cannot be recreated, so we strongly suggest you use one, even if you're not sure if your employer requires it. You may also request a Work Certificate through the online Juror Portal, which shows the dates you served but not the times.
Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 1.100, persons with disabilities may request accommodations. This includes but is not limited to assistive listening devices or sign language interpreters. To request an accommodation, please contact the Jury Commissioner's Office at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday.
State law provides payment of $15.00 per day and 34 cents per mile each way from your home to the court beginning on the second day of service. Payment will be computed on the last day of your jury service and a check will be mailed to your home address within two or three weeks of your jury service. Jurors serving at the Central Courthouse also have the option to receive transit passes for each day they serve.
Free parking is available at the East, North and South County Courthouse locations.
There is no free parking at the Central Courthouse. You cannot easily use parking meters because they have a 2 hour limit, and parking tickets for expired meters are expensive. We encourage you to use the trolley, bus or Coaster. The court does not validate or reimburse parking.
For transit information, call (619) 233-3004. People with hearing impairments may call TTY/TDD (619) 234-5005. For 24-hour information, call InfoExpress at (619) 685-4900.
Refer to 511sd.com for trolley, bus and Coaster transit service information.
All jurors entering the courthouse are required to go through a weapons screening process conducted by the Sheriff's Department. Please do not bring any of the prohibited items. If you have items that are not allowed, you may be asked to leave the courthouse and return without them.
Business casual dress is recommended.
Due to the nature of the court process itself, there are often periods of waiting before jurors are seated in the courtroom. Each day, the trial judge usually handles more than one case. Sometimes he or she will handle a calendar involving dozens of cases. During the trial, attorneys need time to organize evidence, interview witnesses, and prepare answers to legal questions raised during the proceedings.
We suggest you bring something to read. There are brief recesses throughout the day, and you will have at least one hour for lunch. Restaurants are located within walking distance at most court locations.
If you were a sworn juror on a trial, and receive a Summons for Jury Service within three years, you may request to be excused.
Yes, unless your health prevents you from doing so. If you have health concerns and are over the age of 70, you may be permanently excused without a doctor's letter. For more information, call the court at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday or visit the online Juror Portal to request an excuse.
The process of summoning jurors is random. If you have already responded to a summons or have served in the past 12 months, call the court at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday. Explain to the staff person that you have been summoned twice in 12 months.
Our list of names comes from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Registrar of Voters, and the Franchise Tax Board.
Through Senate Bill 310, an amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure section 203 which defines who is ineligible for jury duty took effect January 1, 2020. The law change makes persons previously convicted of a felony now eligible and qualified, unless they are incarcerated in any prison or jail, or persons who have been convicted of a felony and are currently on parole, post release community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony, and persons who are currently required to register as a sex offender based on a felony conviction (Penal Code 290).
Please refer to the text of the bill for more information on the bill.