Mendocino County Court Jury Duty

The right to a trial by jury is the privilege of every person in the United States, whether that person is a citizen or not. This right is guaranteed by both the U.S. and California Constitutions.

Trials, which allow two or more parties to settle disputes, are decided by a judge alone or decided by a jury. The role of the jury is to make an impartial decision based on information presented during the criminal or civil trial.

For more information, see the California Jurors web site.

Where to Appear for Jury Duty

Selection, Source List & Eligibility

Summons

Excuse from Service

Confirm Jury Duty Appearance

Juror Parking

Attendance & Assignment

Failure to Appear for Jury Service

Term of Service

Juror Fees

Verification

California Jurors web site

Please Be Aware

Jury staff of the superior courts do not ask past or prospective jurors for financial information such as credit card, and bank account information or personal information like Social Security Numbers. Please do not provide this type of information to anyone claiming to be associated with the courts. Please contact us if you receive this type of request.

How to Contact Us

The Ukiah Jury Services office can be reached at (707)463-4663. Calls are answered 24 hours a day by our Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system. From the IVR system, you can receive general information, check your reporting status, or be transferred to jury services staff during business hours. You may also e-mail the Jury Services staff at juryservices@mendocino.courts.ca.gov. Our fax number is (707)468-3458.

Where to Appear for Jury Duty

Ukiah - Jury Assembly Room
Mendocino County Courthouse
100 North State Street, Room G-1
Ukiah, CA 95482

Report to the Jury Assembly Room, located on the ground floor of the courthouse.

Fort Bragg - Court Clerk's office
Ten Mile Justice Center
700 South Franklin Street, Room 144
Fort Bragg, CA 95437

Jurors should check in with the court clerk's office and wait in the lobby area in front of the courtroom for instructions.

Willits - Court Clerk's office
Willits Justice Center
125 East Commercial Street, Room 100
Willits, CA 95490

Jurors should check in with the court clerk's office and wait in the lobby area in front of the courtroom for instructions.

Selection, Source List & Eligibility

Jury trials cannot be held unless people are willing to perform this obligation of citizenship. The law requires a random and fair cross-section of the county's population be available to serve on jury duty every day.

For the selection of jurors, names are randomly drawn from the list of registered voters and the Department of Motor Vehicles' list of licensed drivers and identification cardholders.

Any person 18 years of age, or older, a United States citizen and a resident of the county where summoned is qualified to serve as a juror. A potential juror must be able to understand English and not be the subject of a conservatorship.

Summons

The address, date, and time for your appearance is on the summons you were mailed. You may request, by mail to the jury clerk, to reschedule your jury service to a more convenient time. No postponements or excuses are granted over the telephone or on the first day of reporting for jury service.

Your employer must allow you time off for jury duty. 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 or she is required to serve.

Excuse from Service

You may request a disqualification, exemption, excuse from or postponement of your jury service. To do so, complete and return the juror information form on the summons to the jury clerk.

When requesting a postponement of your service, choose a week within the next 120 days, write it on the form and return it to the jury clerk. Students may request postponement of jury service to the next school break or to a day when they do not have classes.

Hardship on your employer or because you are the sole proprietor of a business does not excuse you from jury service. You may request that your jury service be postponed to a more convenient time for these reasons.

Employers are not required by law to pay their employees regular salary when on jury duty, although some do.

Confirm your appearance

Your summons will have instructions directing you when to start checking if you must report for duty. A phone number for a pre-recorded message will be listed telling you whether to report or not.

Juror Parking

Parking instructions are located on the back page of the jury summons. Maps of allowed parking areas are included. In Ukiah, you must use the parking permit printed on the back page. Place it on the dashboard of your car and park free in any two or five hour zone. If a parking meter is present, do not deposit money. Do not park in any 90 minute zone. Any citation received for parking violations is the responsibility of the juror.

Ukiah Juror Parking Area Map (PDF)

Attendance & Assignment

On the first day of duty, report directly to the Jury Assembly Room for further instructions and assignments to courtrooms.

Plan to attend court as a juror all day from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Due to the nature of the court process, there are often periods of waiting. It is advisable to bring something to read. There are brief recesses throughout the day and a break for lunch.

Please dress in a manner consistent with the traditional dignity of the superior court. Please see Local Court Rule 2.9 for further information regarding courtroom attire.

If you require special accommodations, please call the jury clerk's office. Wheelchair access ramps and restrooms are available.

Failure to Appear for Jury Service

A prospective juror who fails to appear for jury service or otherwise contact the court, will be immediately resummoned for a new appearance date. If the juror again fails to appear at this second summons date or contact the court, the juror will be ordered to appear at the courthouse to show cause why he or she should not be held in "contempt of court", punishable by fine, incarceration, or both. At the OSC hearing, if the juror is found in contempt of court, the judge may impose a fine up to $1000.

Term of Service

The court's term of service is the duration of one day or one trial. Jurors not sworn to serve on a trial and not ordered to return for subsequent days of jury selection, at the end of the first day of service, will have completed their jury service for one year.

Juror Fees

All persons serving jury duty are paid fees and mileage reimbursement of $15.00 per day commencing on the second day service, plus mileage at $0.34 per mile.

Verification of Service

Certification of your appearance for jury duty is required by some employers and will be furnished to you by a jury clerk if requested.

For more information, see the California Jurors web site from the Judicial Council of California.

Please direct comments regarding this website to the Superior Court Webmaster.
Last Updated November 20, 2006