Im glad that in my case the lawyers for the state and the defendant did not feel that my age gave them reason to challenge me. Senior Jury Duty Exemption From the age of 65 to 80, depending on where you live, you may be able to excuse yourself. California law says you are qualified to be a juror if you: Reasons you may be excused from jury service include: Resources for Judges, Attorneys, Court Staff, and the Public, View the Court and Community Jury Brochure, Plain language Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions, California Department of Industrial Relations, Through the Eyes of the Juror: A Manual for Addressing Juror Stress, Can understand English enough to understand and discuss the case, Are a resident of the county that sent you the jury summons, Have not served on a jury in the last 12 months, Are not currently on a grand jury or on another trial jury, Are not incarcerated in any prison or jail, Are not on parole, postrelease community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony, Are not required to register as a sex offender, Were convicted of malfeasance while holding public office and have not had your civil rights restored. Jurors are offered just $50 a day, and this increases to $60 for cases that last over 10 days. Note: The California Labor Codeat LAB 230 protects jurors. You may not serve on a jury if you have been convicted of a malfeasance in office and your civil rights have not been restored. A juror over the age of 70, may be excused from duty due to physical or mental reasons. Keep in mind that your initial jury duty summons is only for attending jury selection day, where it will be decided if you are to actually serve on a jury during the "Voir Dire" process. Trial length depends on how complex the issues are and how long jurors spend in deliberations. You may not use computers, cellular phones, cameras, or tape recorders in the courtroom. Follow the directions on the summons for postponement or excuse. This online tool allows you to respond to your juror questionnaire, request a postponement, excusal, disqualification or exemption, and receive text message notifications. They may or may not be returned to you when you leave the courthouse. Please bring your own pen or pencil. Reside in the county that summoned you. Superior Court of Alameda County will implement AB1981 which changes juror travel reimbursements effective January 1, 2023. The Court will be transitioning to Zoom for all remote appearances. Additionally, jurors using public transportation will be able to submit a Public Transportation Reimbursement request form to receive travel reimbursement for using any mode of local public transportation to arrive to the courthouse. 2 How old do you have to be to be exempt from jury duty in NY? All potential jurors are selected at random from lists. The court uses common, everyday language that people can understand. The court's goal is to make jury service convenient and easy. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Once you reach age 70 in Nevada, you are exempt from serving on a jury no matter where you live. Please note that the above changes do not affect the eligibility and disqualification criteria for criminal or civil grand juries, as specified in Section 893 of the Penal Code. As a juror you participate in an important public process and fulfill a civic obligation. ); Have legal custody of a child younger than 12 years of age and your service on the jury requires leaving the child without adequate supervision; Are a student of a public or private secondary school; Please use the Courts juror portal, JPORTAL, where you can register and complete a set of juror eligibility questions as well as complete the questionnaire. If you need special accommodations,contact the court right away. Some states have more complicated rules regarding seniors and jury duty. And physical limitations can make jury duty an undue hardship for some. % Location:Oakland - Ren C. Davidson Courthouse, Report remotely via zoom by logging in to the Jportal on the following date and time. Plain language Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions If you are on active duty in the armed forces, are a member of the emergency services, or youre engaged in full-time public duties, you are automatically excused. Alameda County Parking Lots. There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home. For more information, please visit the Courts COVID-19 page. Please click on the name of your county for more information about jury service in your area. Does Medicaid Cover Self-Measured Blood Pressure? Failing to appear for jury duty is against the law. At what age can you be excused from jury duty in California? Return to this web page for further instructions on the following date and time. Phone conferences and home visits are also available. You are not needed at this time. They may not be allowed in the courtroom even if they are shut off. Contact the court immediately to reschedule your jury service. All jurors receive at least 34 cents for each mile they travel to court. If you are qualified, please follow the directions on your summons and call in or report as instructed. Postponement may be available for health problems, pre-existing personal commitments that cannot be rescheduled, or scheduled paid vacation. Juries play an important and crucial role in our country's democratic process. Jurors are summoned randomly from countywide lists maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Franchise Tax Board's state tax filers, and the local registrar of voters. A: There is no age exemption for jury service. To put that into perspective, its often said that you have a 1 in 160 chance of being audited by the IRS and a 1 in 500 chance of being born with 11 fingers or toes. Some states allow anyone over a certain age to be permanently exempted; other states allow seniors to be excused from serving if they are called. The truth is, serving on a jury doesnt really make you a good citizen and refusing to serve doesnt make you a bad one. Consistent with Governor Newsoms Beyond the Blueprint plan, the Superior Court of Alameda County (Court) has reopened all courthouses to the public and restored additional in-person services beginning June 15, 2021. California provides jurors with $15 every day starting on the second day of service, except employees of governmental entities who receive full pay and benefits from their employers while on jury service. This notice provides guidance as to how to proceed if you think you are being targeted by this scam. 451 (relating to definitions). However, you must let your employer know well in advance, as soon as you receive your summons. Medicaid Expansion: What Might It Mean for You? Check your summons or contact your localjury office for more information. Please note: we are not involved in day-to-day court operations. A person 70 years of age or older will be excused from jury service upon request. This change is effective January 1, 2020. You do not need to speak perfect English to serve as a juror. Note: Alco Park provides validated parking for jury duty. If you want a permanent exemption from jury service, please tell the jury services personnel. Beginning January 1, 2020, certain individuals with a criminal history may serve on California trial juries. Also, thosewho are currently required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code based on the felony conviction are not eligible for jury service. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. After 5 P.M. on the Friday before your summons date and every night during your summons week, check our Jury Reporting Instructions pageor call (510) 879-3079 to receive reporting instructions. If you need certain accommodations such as assistance with a wheelchair, hearing amplification, or special seating, contact your localjury office right away. Click here to see information about how the transition will happen in each case type. If you are age 70 or over and have either a physical or mental disability or impairment you may be excused from jury service. When you serve on a jury, you make important decisions affecting other people's lives as well as your own community. California law states a qualified juror as: a U.S. citizen. Which Is Better, Life Alert or Medical Alert? The court uses common, everyday language that people can understand. endobj This is not true for all states, and there are other exemptions to consider. They include: Consult your local court rules for further information and to determine whether or not the exemptions apply to you. 2 0 obj Inclusion on the list of eligible jurors does not guarantee that you will be immediately selected for jury service. . The mileage payment, only for one-way travel, also starts on the second day. . All Others: If you feel that it is impossible for you to serve as a juror and wish to be excused from service, you must submit documentary proof of the reason why. Jurors are given proof of their service and often certificates of appreciation or thank-you letters and then are released from jury service. Sometimes jurors even exchange phone numbers in order to discuss aspects of the case with other people who shared the same experience. Man, I'm annoyed! Do not appear in person. Read your summons carefully or contact your localjury office to find out how to request a postponement. Fees are paid at the end of a trial, at the rate of fifteen ($15) dollars per day and thirty four (.34) cents per mile, one way only from their home to the courthouse. I am NOT a peace officer as defined by Penal Code section 830.1, 830.2(A) or 830.33(A) - external link By law employers are not required to compensate employees while they are on jury service. Do not talk to anyone about the case until you are discharged from the jury. Of course, its true that as we age we have more risk of disabling conditions that could inhibit our service. Alco Park 165 13th Street, Oakland. Explain to the staff person that you have been summoned twice in 12 months. A person 70 years of age or older may also be permanently excused from jury service upon written request. 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. (a) General rule.No person shall be exempt or excused from jury duty except the following: (1) Persons in active service of the armed forces of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Do not enter court facilities if you have answered yes to any of the questions in the health screening survey. Generally, if you qualify for one of . State law (Labor Code, Section 230) prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for taking time off to serve as a juror if the employee, prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer of the requirement to serve as a juror. To accomplish this, the Office of Jury Administration has implemented innovative and streamlined practices . Its a stereotype that has existed for many years, but its also backed by research. For assistance resolving a jury service issue, please contact your local court directly. Jury service allows American citizens to take part in the governments judicial process. In addition, people caring for children under 10 or the elderly may be exempt from jury duty.