A Jury is a selected group of citizens which hears the testimonies in a legal
dispute and determines what
they believe is the truth. The United States law
provides for three types of Juries:
Petit, Grand and Coroner's.
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View Orientation Video Selection,
Appearance and Service
Juror Selection Process and Service
Prospective jurors are initially selected or "summoned" from the Voter
Registration files or the Department of Motor Vehicles files each year
(July 1 - June 30) to a specific jury trial date and time. You
are requested to report on the date and time on your summons to the
address indicated on your summons. Please take into account the
time it takes to park your car, walk to the Courthouse and be
processed through security.
Jury trials are typically in session from 9:00 a.m. to
approximately 4:00-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The lunch break
for jurors is usually from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., and brief recesses
are held throughout the day.
The Nevada County Superior Court observes a
“one-day/one-trial” policy. Once a prospective juror has either served
as a trial juror in one trial, or made one appearance and was not
selected as a juror, he/she should not be called for jury service
again for at least 12 months. If, after appearing for jury service,
the judge or jury commissioner excuses a prospective juror for
hardship reasons, he/she is subject to be called again at any time. If
a prospective juror is selected to serve in a trial, he/she is
required to serve until the conclusion of the trial. Average jury
trials last two to five days. In some instances jury trials may last
longer. The trial judge will advise you of the estimated trial
duration.
Cancellations
On occasion, the litigants in a jury trial will settled out of court
prior to the date of the jury trial, so it is important for you to
follow the information on your summons on how to check your up-to-date
Juror Status. If your jury trial is cancelled, you do not
need to appear as instructed. Your name will be added back to the
prospective juror pool.
Postponements
We understand that sometimes prospective jurors are unable to fulfill
their jury duty on the date and time which you have been summoned.
Each juror is allowed to postpone their jury duty once in a given
year. This is not an excuse from service, simply a rescheduling
of your service to a later date that works better for you. To
postpone your service simply follow the instructions on checking your
Juror Status and follow the link to postponements.
Excuse From Service
An excuse from jury service based upon undue hardship,
financial burden, work hardship, or religious reasons, can only be
granted by the judge and must be placed on the Court’s record on the
date of your appearance. You may request to be disqualified or excused
from jury service for any one of the following reasons:
- You are not a US citizen.
- You are under 18 years of age.
- You do not have sufficient knowledge of the English language to
act as a trial juror.
- You have been convicted of a felony or malfeasance in office and
your rights have
Active duty peace officers may also be excused from jury service.
If you believe that any of these conditions apply to you, any request
must be submitted in writing by checking the appropriate box on the
summons and signing in the under penalty of perjury section. The
summons must be returned within five business days.
Failure To Appear
If you have received a summons for jury duty and did not appear
as instructed, you will be recorded as a Failure to Appear, regardless
of reason. Pursuant to California Code, any juror who fails to
respond to a jury summons as directed may be found in contempt of
court, punishable by fine, incarceration, or both. You will receive a
new summons directing you to appear for Jury Service. Your
Failure to Appear record will be vacated upon your appearance on the
newly scheduled date.
Getting Here
Driving Directions - Truckee Courthouse
From I80 eastbound, take the "Central Truckee" off-ramp
Turn left onto Donner Pass Road
- OR -
From I80 westbound, take the "Central Truckee" off-ramp
Turn right onto Donner Pass Road
Proceed about 1/2 mile on Donner Pass Rd, turn left at Levon
Ave.
The Courthouse is in the Joseph Government Center, 10075 Levon Avenue.
Parking at the Joseph Center is on a first-come first-served basis and
there is usually ample parking. If the parking lot is full you may
park along Levon Avenue under most circumstances. Do not park in the
Hospital parking lot
Driving Directions - Nevada City Courthouse
From north/eastbound Highway 49/20, take the Broad Street exit
in Nevada City.
Turn left back across the freeway.
Take immediate right on the frontage road across the overpass.
(Union St)
Go one block. Turn left towards Commercial St and veer
right onto Main St.
Go one block to Church St. the Court is on the left at 201 Church
Street
Proceed one more block to Washington and Main for the Courthouse
parking lot.
From south/westbound Highway 49/20, take the Coyote Street exit in
Nevada City.
Turn left on the frontage road (Union St)
Go two blocks. Turn right on Washington St
The Courthouse is ahead and on the left one block, at 201 Church
Street
The Courthouse parking lot is on your right at Washington and Main.
Parking spaces designated for jurors are located in the lower
portion of the parking lot located on the corner of Main St. and
Washington, just across the street from the back corner of the
Courthouse. (Please refer to Parking Lot A in red on the map located
on your summons). Additional parking for jurors is located in the St.
Canice Church parking lot with its entrance off Coyote Street across
from the Nevada City Post Office parking lot. (Please refer to Parking
Lot B in red on the map located on your summons.) If you are having
difficulty locating a parking space, you may want to try the lot
behind the Nevada City Veterans Building, which is located on the
corner of North Pine Street and Cottage (approximately one block
behind the courthouse.
ADA:
Parking for individuals with disabilities is available adjacent to
both Courthouses. The Nevada City lot is at the corner of Pine
and Washington St's. A wheelchair accessible ramp will lead you
to the front of the Courthouse from here. If you require special
accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you will
need to speak to the Jury staff
Public Transportation
To find out the route and schedules of the Nevada County
Transit Bus Service, please call 1-888-660-7433 or visit their website
at
http://www.mynevadacounty.com/transit
Additional
Information
CHILDCARE:
Unfortunately childcare is not available.
DRESS CODE:
Prospective jurors should wear comfortable attire that is suitable for
the courtroom (no shorts or tank tops). Temperatures may vary in jury
assembly areas and courtrooms.
STUDENTS:
Students may request to be postponed to the next school break, but
status, as a student is not a valid reason to be excused.
JUROR PAYMENT FEES:
Starting with the second day of service, jurors will be paid at the
rate of $15.00 per day. Jurors will be paid for transportation costs
at the rate of 34.5 cents per mile, traveling to court, one-way only,
starting with the second day of service.
MORE INFORMATION ON-LINE
Visit the California Courts Jury Information Resource Center at : http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/jury/
.
Give us your Feedback
.We understand that jury duty can be an inconvenience and a
sacrifice for all. We would appreciate you completing a brief
Juror Questionnaire (click) so that we can improve our justice
system for the benefit of you and other future jurors.
Summary Of Jury Trials Conducted
Click the year (link) to the report you want to review.
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2008
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2009
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