Prepare to be available on telephone standby for 2-days. When reporting, plan to be available for an all-day service. Court hours are Monday- Friday 8 AM – 5 PM, excluding court holidays. California has a one-day or one-trial term of jury service. This means that a trial juror serves for one day or for the duration of one trial. Jurors may be selected to serve on a case of any length. Statewide, the majority of jurors serve for just one day.
Section 230(a) of the LABOR CODE states: “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 or trial jury, if such employee, prior to asking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer of the requirement to serve.”
You will be compensated fifteen dollars ($15.00) a day and thirty-four cents ($0.34) per mile (round trip) beginning on the second day of your service, and each subsequent day of service thereafter. No juror will be paid compensation for their first day of service, including sworn jurors who sit on a one-day trial. Jurors and prospective jurors who take public transit to the courthouse are entitled to reimbursement of up to $12.00 per day. Transit Reimbursement forms are available in Jury Services.
A Jury Verification form will be provided at the end of your service stating all the days you were in attendance.