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Jury Policies
& Procedures |
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Jury Duty: |
The selection and management of jurors is governed by the Code of Civil Procedure. By law, potential jurors for the Santa Barbara County courts are selected randomly from the Voter Registration list and the Department of Motor Vehicles' drivers and identification card-holders lists. From these source lists, the Court creates a master list of prospective jurors. Prospective jurors are selected randomly from that master list to receive a Trial Jury Summons. Summons are sent to pools of prospective jurors selected at random. Summons are mailed approximately 4 weeks prior to the tentative reporting date shown on the summons. To qualify for jury service, one must be:
PEACE OFFICERS as defined only in Sections 830.1, 830.2(a) or 830.33(a) of the Penal Code are exempt. Individuals must request this exemption by completing the request section of the summons. Read all directions on the form in order to fill it out correctly. Staff will read and process the request. Unless we notify you that your request for this exemption has been denied, you should assume it has been approved. REQUEST FOR EXCUSE If you receive a summons and you want to request to be excused, you MUST complete the request section of the summons. Read all directions on the form in order to fill it out correctly. Staff will read and process the request. Unless we notify you that your request for excuse has been denied, you should assume it has been approved. If you feel you should be permanently excused from jury service due to your medical condition and if you are UNDER AGE 70, you must have a note signed by your medical doctor. The note must state that you are to be PERMANENTLY EXCUSED. Return the note along with the completed and signed request section of the summons. Please be sure to include your telephone numbers and participant number. If you are OVER AGE 70 and feel you should be permanently excused due to medical conditions, you must write a letter to the Jury Services office stating so and send it in with your completed and signed request section of the summons. Be sure to include your telephone numbers and participant number. You are not required to send a doctor's note if you have legitimate medical problems and you are OVER AGE 70. Inconvenience to a prospective trial juror or an employer is not a legal reason to be excused from jury service. When summoned, prospective jurors are placed on-call for approximately 5 court working days. If you are not available during your on-call period, you may request ONE DEFERRAL of your service. You MUST complete the request section of the summons. Read all directions on the form in order to fill it out correctly, including the week when you will be able to serve. The new date must be within the next 90 days. You must sign the form, provide your participant number and telephone numbers. Staff will read and process the request. Unless we notify you that your request for deferral has been denied, you should assume it has been approved. No person is exempt from service by reason of occupation. Based on their
student status, students may request a deferral of their service to
the next school break (in this case we will defer past 90 days if
necessary). If you have an emergency on the day you are to report, notify the Jury Services Office. In Santa Barbara call (805) 882-4530. In Santa Maria call (805) 614-6464. The offices are open at 8:00 a.m. If a general emergency occurs, such as an earthquake, flood, fire, civil unrest, etc., call (805) 882-4555 for instructions concerning jury service. When issued, please wear your juror badge at all times while you are at the courthouse. It is important that people recognize you as a juror. Overhearing statements by attorneys, defendants, or other parties could cause a mistrial. Before going to a courtroom for jury selection, jury staff will keep you informed about breaks. Once you are assigned to a courtroom for jury selection, the judge will inform you of breaks, lunch periods and the time trial will end each day. Business attire is suggested. Jurors are advised to dress in layers as the temperature of the jury assembly areas and courtrooms can be unpredictable. Ties are not required. Be comfortable but avoid extremes in dress. Beach attire such as tank tops, shorts and flip flops are not appropriate for jury service. Employers are not required by law to compensate employees with their regular wages while on jury duty. Many employers do have jury benefits and will continue your wages while you serve. Check with your employer regarding the company policy BEFORE you report for jury service. You may take notes, but you should not become so involved in note-taking that you miss important points that are being told to you. For the Santa Barbara court location only, your jury summons may be used as a free MTD bus pass on your first reporting day. Hand the summons to the driver for validation. Check with Jury Services if you are required to return a second day. Please see www.sbmtd.gov for schedules/routes. For bus service within the Santa Maria area, please see the Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) website for schedules/routes: www.ci.santa-maria.ca.us/3075.html For
bus service between Lompoc and Santa Maria, please see The Breeze Bus
website at www.breezebus.com for schedules/routes, or call 800-417-2137.
Parking is limited, so please allow sufficient time.
Beginning the second day of jury service (and for each day thereafter) you will be paid fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day, plus thirty-four cents a mile ($0.34), one way mileage from your home to the court (California Code of Civil Procedure Sec. 215). With the latest revisions to state law regarding payment of jurors, jurors do not receive any compensation for the first day of service. Checks for jury service are computed at the completion of the trial to which you were assigned and are mailed to you at your home address. Checks should be received within 4 to 6 weeks after the end of the trial. Questions regarding jury payment checks should be directed to Jury Services staff at the court where you served. In Santa Barbara call (805) 882-4530. In Santa Maria Call (805) 614-6464. In Lompoc call (805) 737-5448. 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. If you need proof of your appearance for jury service for your employer, a form will be furnished by the jury personnel in the jury staff on your first day of service. Should you return a second day for selection or as a sworn juror, a jury staff member or the bailiff or court clerk can sign your confirmation of appearance on a daily basis. Please bring this form with you each day. If you have a question while in the courtroom, ask the bailiff if the question should be answered by the judge. The bailiff will see that the question is forwarded on. If you cannot hear, are feeling ill or need to leave the courtroom, go to the bailiff and explain and the bailiff will help you.
No weapons of any kind are allowed in the courthouse, including courtrooms and the jury assembly building. This includes mace and/or pepper spray. If you are carrying any weapons, even for your own protection, please leave them in your car or at home. If you require special accommodations or have a situation that is not addressed here, please call your local Jury Services office during regular business hours. Under the laws of the State of California, you may be summoned for jury service once every 12 months. You will be placed on-call for approximately 5 court working days. You will be called in during that period only if there is a trial for which a jury is needed. When you are sent to a courtroom as a prospective juror and you are chosen as an actual trial or alternate juror, your jury obligation will be fulfilled upon the conclusion of deliberation, regardless of whether or not a verdict is reached. If you are not chosen as a juror or alternate, your jury service will be fulfilled upon your dismissal by the court (i.e.: you are excused by challenge) or upon the swearing of the jury, even if you were not called into the box for questioning. Trials are of varying lengths. Cases in Santa Barbara County may run anywhere from one to six days, or even longer in some matters. The trial judge will advise you of the trial duration and may excuse you from serving on a particular case if your service would amount to an extreme hardship. Due to the nature of jury service and the court process itself, there are often periods of waiting. We suggest bringing something to read, needlework, etc. There are brief recesses throughout the day, and you will have at least one hour for lunch. Find more information on the Judicial Council Web Site:
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