What if I am a student?
Full-time students, including those living on campus at a school outside Contra Costa County, are not exempt from serving on jury duty. You may reschedule your jury service during quarter or semester breaks.
What if I do not speak English?
You do not need to speak fluent English to serve as a juror. The court uses common, everyday language that most people can understand. The work done by the courts affects all people, so it is important that all communities be a part of our justice system. If you think you do not have sufficient knowledge of the English language to act as a juror, you will have to come into the court to take an English screening.YOU CAN’T BE EXCUSED FOR NO ENGLISH OVER THE PHONE.
How late will I be at the courthouse?
The Court's normal hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Prospective jurors should make arrangements to remain the entire day.
Must I serve if I am not a United States citizen?
You are disqualified from jury service if you are not a U.S. citizen. You may submit a request for disqualification. Please include the country you are a citizen of in your request.
Do I have to perform jury service if I’m over 70 years of age?
There is no age exemption for jury service. If you are 70 years of age or older, the California Rules of Court allow you to be excused due to a medical condition without a doctor’s note. You must inform the court that you are not able to serve. Requests to be excused must be in writing and submitted to the Office of the Jury Commissioner prior to the prospective juror's service date.
How soon will I receive my jury payment after I’ve completed my jury service?
Jurors generally will receive their payment checks 15 to 30 days after they complete their service. Depending on dates of jury service, you could receive more than one check for total payment of all your jury service dates.
May I be transferred to another court location?
Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 191, prospective jurors are randomly selected to serve at a designated court location.
Can I bring my children with me?
The court does not provide child supervision while you are on jury duty. You will need to make other arrangements for your child’s care while you are at the court for jury duty.
What do I do if I receive two summonses from your court?
Contact the court and let them know you have two summonses. You will have to report for jury duty for one of the summonses. This occurs when the DMV, Registrar of Voters, or Franchise Tax Board has your name differently in their systems. It could be a middle initial missing or a maiden name not changed after marriage. Because our selection is random and doesn't contain information such as social security, the system has no way of determining that you are one in the same person.
I’m a retired police officer and/or members of my family are in law enforcement. Do I still have to serve?
Yes, you must serve.
What if I don’t have transportation to court?
If you take public transportation which would result in a travel time of over 1.5 hours, you may be excused by sending a transportation route to the court. The route must be from your home address to the court location at which you were summonsed.
I have moved and no longer live in Contra Costa County. What do I do?
You are not eligible for jury service if you are not a resident of Contra Costa County. You must inform the court that you are not a resident of Contra Costa County. Please change your residence information with the Department of Motor Vehicles and Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters so you will no longer be summoned for jury service in Contra Costa County. You must submit proof to the court that you have updated your address with the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters. You can submit proof via your online juror portal at www. cc-courts.org or send proof to our email at jurywebexcuse@contracosta.courts.ca.gov
May I serve if I am a felon?
Beginning January 1, 2020, certain individuals with a criminal history may serve on California trial juries. However, if you 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, you remain disqualified from jury service. Additionally, if any individual is incarcerated in any prison or jail, they are disqualified from jury service. Also, those who 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. Finally, any person who has been convicted of malfeasance in office and whose civil rights have not been restored may not serve on a jury.