One-Day or One-Trial Jury Service

UDICIAL COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA

455 Golden Gate Avenue, 5

Floor

San Francisco, CA 94102-3688

Tel (415) 865-4200

Fax (415) 865-4586

TDD (415) 865-8004

www.courts.ca.gov

FACT SHEET

April 2023

One Day or One Trial Jury Service

One day or one trial jury service is a statewide policy designed to improve jury service in

California.

How It Works

alifornians are required to participate in jury service only once every 12 months. There are four ways to

fulfill this obligation:

1. B

e assigned to on-call or standby jury service. The juror telephones the court or visits a Web site t

det

ermine if they must appear in person. A potential juror may serve no more than 1 day on on-cal

service or 5 days on standby telephone service. The option selected for the juror varies by court.

Serving on-call or on standby satisfies the juror’s obligation.

2. A

ppear in person for jury service. The juror appears in person at the courthouse. If they are not

chosen for a trial or assigned to a courtroom for jury selection on the first day of scheduled service,

they have satisfied this obligation.

3. A

ppear in person for jury service, be assigned to a courtroom for jury selection, but not be chosen for

a trial. Dismissal by a judicial officer satisfies the juror’s obligation.

4. A

ppear in person for jury service, be assigned to a courtroom for jury selection, and be chosen for a

trial. Service in that trial to verdict or until dismissed by the judicial officer satisfies the juror’s

obligation.

hile jury service is required by state law, the courts recognize that it impacts businesses and

employees. The one day or one trial system is designed to reduce unproductive waiting time of jurors as

well as the potential for lost income, and it reduces the uncertainty of when and for how long employees

will be unavailable for work.

Examples of How it Works

1. A

prospective juror is on-call for 1 day without ever being called to arrive at the courthouse. That

person has completed their service.

2. A

prospective juror is on telephone standby for 5 days but is never called to arrive at the courthouse.

That person has completed their service.

One Day or One Trial Jury Service

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3. A prospective juror is on-call or standby but is then required to arrive at the courthouse for

assignment to a jury panel. They are sent to a courtroom and questioned, only to be dismissed. That

person has completed their service.

4. A

prospective juror is on-call or standby but is then required to arrive at the courthouse for

assignment to a jury panel. They are sent to a courtroom and questioned. However, the judge

instructs them to return to the jury assembly room. They are not assigned to another jury panel by the

end

of the day. That person has completed their service.

5. A pr

ospective juror serves on-call or standby but is then required to arrive at the courthouse for

assignment to a jury panel. They are sent to a courtroom and given a questionnaire to complet

before the end of the day and asked to report back on a given day next week. They return but are not

questioned and dismissed. That person has completed their service.

6. I

n certain courts, a prospective juror may be dismissed before their summons date arrives, meani

hey did not serve in-person, on call, or on telephone standby. In which case, those prospective jurors

may be returned to the jury pool to be resummoned for service in less than 12 months.

History

he Judicial Council adopted rule 2.1002 of the California Rules of Court and enacted the one-day or

one-trial policy in state courts effective July 1, 1999. At the time the rule was adopted, more than 20

superior courts in California’s 58 counties reported they had already adopted a one day or one trial

system. By May 2002, with the successful implementation of one day or one trial jury service at the

Superior Court of Los Angeles County, the new system was effective statewide.

Rule 2.1002—Length of juror service

alifornia Rules of Court, rule 2.1002(c) states that:

“Eac

h trial court system must implement a juror management program under which a person has fulfilled

[their] jury service obligation when the person has:

“(1) Served on one trial until discharged;

“(2) Been assigned on one day to one or more trial departments for jury selection and served through the

completion of jury selection or until excused by the jury commissioner;

“(3) Attended court but was not assigned to a trial department for selection of a jury

before the end of that day; “(4) Served one day on call; or

“(5) Served no more than five court days on telephone standby.”

Benefits for Employees and Employers

he one day or one trial system takes the waiting out of jury duty and reduces the potential for lost

income for both employees and employers. Before the system was enacted, prospective jurors had to be

available for up to 10 days in some counties. Now, potential jurors need to report for only one day to find

out whether they will continue to serve. The system also reduces uncertainly about when and for how

long employees will be unavailable for work.

California Juror Web Site

or more information on the one day or one trial jury system, visit the Jury Information Resource Center

on the California Courts Web site at http://www.courts.ca.gov/juryservice.htm.

Contact:

Stephen Michael Tow, Senior Analyst, Jury Improvement Program Lead Staff, at JuryInfo@jud.ca.gov

Originally created January 2016