Hours:  You must be available to report at 8:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. and able to stay until 5:00 p.m. on the day you report for jury duty. Due to the nature of jury service and the court process itself, there are often periods of waiting. We suggest you bring a book or other material to occupy your time. Our jury assembly rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi.

Breaks:  You will have a morning and afternoon break and a lunch hour. There is a cafeteria located at the Hall of Justice and restaurants within walking distance of the Government Center. For your convenience, there are also ATM machines on premises.

Dress:  Business attire is suggested. Jurors are advised to dress in layers as the temperature of the jury assembly areas and courtrooms may fluctuate.

Parking:  Free parking is available at all Court facilities. DO NOT park in spaces reserved for handicapped or carpool or in spaces with limited time (violators will be ticketed). Make a note of where you parked your car. Parking location signs are located on each light standard.

Security Screening:  When entering the court facility you will be screened through a security device. Do not bring any knives, scissors, handwork needles, metal fingernail files, tools, wallet chains, handcuff keys, or any items that may possibly be used as a weapon. Items considered weapons will be confiscated upon entering. We do not have the facilities to store these items until the end of the day. Please do not bring them.

Qualifications:  California law says you are qualified to be a juror if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are at least 18 years old
• 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 under a conservatorship
• Had your civil rights restored after conviction of malfeasance in office
• Were convicted of a felony but not currently incarcerated, not currently on parole, postrelease community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction, and not required to register as a sex offender pursuant to PC 290

No one is exempt because of his or her job, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or economic status.

If you are qualified, please follow the directions on your summons and call in or report as instructed. You will receive additional information when you report for service.

Excuse requests:  Requests to be excused must be submitted by using the Respond Online system, returning a completed summons, or writing a letter. You cannot be excused by email. All requests must be submitted under penalty of perjury and include a signature or processed through Respond Online. Notification will be sent to confirm if your request is granted or denied.

If you need special accommodations, please contact Jury Services right away.

Postponement:  You may postpone up to 90 days. Click Respond Online. Enter your badge number, zip code and birth date. Click on Request Schedule Change. You may choose an available date. If Request Schedule Change is not available, please call the office. (805) 289-8661

Students:  Students may request a postponement of service to the next school break. Click Respond Online. Complete the questionnaire using the Explanation box on the questionnaire or by clicking Request Schedule Change and choosing a date.

You may also contact Jury Services via email at jury-service@ventura.courts.ca.gov. When emailing the Jury Services Department, please include your full name and your badge number. You may not be excused by email. You will be directed to click Respond Online and complete the questionnaire. Email response may take 2 to 3 days.

Section 230(a) of the Labor Code reads: No employer shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to serve as required by law on an inquest or trial jury, if such employee prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he is required to serve.

Employers are not required by law to compensate employees with their regular wages while on jury duty. Many employers do have jury benefits and will continue wages while serving.

No fees or mileage are paid for the first day of service.

$15 per day and 34¢ per mile, roundtrip from the juror's home to the courthouse are paid for second and additional days of service. Jurors employed by government agencies or districts receive regular salary during service, therefore no juror fees are paid to those jurors pursuant to provisions of the law.

Jurors serving their second and additional days of jury service can expect to receive their warrant of payment within 6 weeks of completing service. If you do not receive your juror fees in that time, please call our office and speak with the payroll clerk. Call (805) 289-8661 between 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

If you require special accommodations, please email or call our office (805) 289-8661. You may also click Respond Online. Once you have entered the system, complete the Juror Questionnaire, mark that you will need accommodations, enter any comments in the explanation box, and submit under penalty of perjury at the bottom of the page. If you are hearing impaired and have requested a Sign Language Interpreter or if you need an accommodation that requires a response from Jury Services, you will be notified by phone, email or mail.

For information about the Grand Jury, please visit the Ventura County Grand Jury web page.