Can you volunteer for jury duty in California? Can someone take your place? What law says
Have you never been summoned for jury duty? Have you been summoned one too many times and want to give someone else the chance to serve?
While eligible U.S. citizens are required to respond to jury duty summons, some folks may be more eager to serve than others.
Here’s what California law says about volunteering for jury duty:
Who is qualified to serve on a California jury?
California law states you are qualified to be a juror if you are:
- A U.S. citizen.
- At least 18 years old.
- Can understand enough English to discuss the case.
- A resident of the county that sent the summons.
- Have not served on a jury in the past 12 months.
- Not already on a grand or trial jury.
- Not under a conservatorship.
- Not in jail or prison.
- Not on parole or probation for a felony.
- Not registered as a sex offender.
- Not convicted of wrongdoing while in public office and have not had your civil rights restored.
Can I volunteer to serve on a jury or have someone volunteer for me?
Blaine Corren, a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California, said California trial courts select people at random for jury service from three specific source lists including DMV license and ID card holders, registered voters and state tax filers.
The California Civil Code of Procedures states, “All persons selected for jury service shall be selected at random, from a source or sources inclusive of a representative cross section of the population of the area served by the court.”
“It is not possible to volunteer to serve as a trial juror,” Corren said. “Jurors are selected randomly as a right and responsibility of citizenship.”
In order to satisfy certain constitutional protections to provide parties with a jury of one’s peers, Corren said it would be improper to allow an individual to use a substitute to take their place on a jury.
“Sometimes individuals want to volunteer to serve as jurors,” Corren said.
However, Corren said this is not allowed under current law or any rule of court.
Can I volunteer to serve on a civil grand jury?
While individuals are not allowed to volunteer as a trial juror in California, Corren said eligible individuals can volunteer to serve as a civil grand juror.
According to California Penal Code 893, prospective civil grand jurors must have the following qualifications:
- Be a citizen of the United States and 18 years or older.
- Be a California resident and of the county for one year before being selected.
- Be in possession of their “natural faculties of ordinary intelligence, of sound judgment and of fair character.”
- Understand the English language.
Every year, each of California’s counties allows a group of eligible citizens to take an oath to serve as grand jurors, according to the California Courts website.
A civil grand jury functions to investigate the operations of various officers, departments and local government agencies of local government, the website states.
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Can you volunteer for jury duty in California? Can someone take your place? What law says."
