Jurors

If you have received a summons for jury service in our court, you must complete a juror qualification questionnaire for determining whether you are qualified to serve as a juror pursuant to federal law. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this process!

Log in:

To log in, you will need to enter the following information:

1. Your unique 9-digit participant number located in the right column (in the section above "Your Jury Service Location").
2. The first three letters of your last name, exactly as shown on the summons.  If your name is misspelled on the summons or has changed, you will have an opportunity to correct it after you log in. NOTE: If your last name is less than three letters, please leave the last name field blank and proceed to entering your date of birth.
3. Your date of birth.

Verify information:

1. After you log in, a screen will come up asking you to verify your name, address and contact information.  Make any necessary changes and click “FINISH”; you will be taken to the main body of the questionnaire.
2. Some items on the questionnaire will require you to enter information in a text box.  These boxes may not be left blank.  If appropriate, type in “not applicable” or “n/a”
3. After completing the questionnaire, you will have an opportunity to review your answers.  Click “CONFIRM” once you are finished, and you will see a confirmation screen.

Important notes:

1. After you complete the juror qualification questionnaire, you will have an opportunity to request a postponement or to be excused.  You must provide a valid email address in order to make a request online.
2. If you received a 2^nd Notice in the mail, it included a paper version of the questionnaire. You do not have to complete this form in paper, as the most efficient method is to complete your juror qualification form online.
3. If you have trouble logging in or responding to your summons, please contact the jury office at the court location that sent your summons.
4. Some potential jurors have reported difficulty completing the questionnaire using the Safari browser. Please use a different browser if possible. 

Step 1) Log in to eJuror or call 1-800-569-7658.

Step 2) Once you log in, click the top left button labeled "Current Status" to access your current reporting instructions.

Step 3) After reporting in person to the courthouse for jury duty, you can access a printout of the dates you appeared in person. Click the second button labeled "Attendance Letter." 

Note: If you were only on call and did not report to the courthouse in person, you will not be able to print an attendance letter. These letters are updated the following month of the month you attended. (e.g.: If you attended in January, your letter will be downloadable in February. If you need it earlier you may contact the office you attended.)

Jurors are on call for two weeks (10 consecutive court days beginning the first day you are on call). This court is a “one appearance*, or one trial” court. You will be required to make only one appearance in court for jury selections held that day, or serve for one trial (*jury selection may take more than one day). If you are not selected as a juror when you report, your service will be over once the jury selection process is complete. If you are selected to serve on a trial, you must serve the length of the trial; when the trial is over, your service is complete.

You must check for reporting instructions the day before your first scheduled reporting date to find out if, or when you are required to appear. (Note: This date is noted on the first summons under "Step 2") If you are not required to appear that first day, the message will tell you when to call again the following day. You must continue calling for instructions until the message says your service is over.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1861, all litigants have the right to grand and petit jurors selected at random from a fair cross section of the community. To ensure this, the court uses a randomized one-step process:

• A master jury wheel is created from names drawn randomly from lists of registered voters (provided by the California Secretary of State) and holders of driver’s licenses and ID cards (from the California Department of Motor Vehicles).
• Names are then randomly drawn from this master list and sent jury summonses with instructions to complete a juror qualification questionnaire via our eJuror website. Those who prefer may request a paper questionnaire.
• Qualified individuals are entered into a pool from which jurors are randomly selected for grand juries and trials.
• All selections are performed through an electronic data processing system designed to ensure pure randomness, giving each person an equal chance of being selected.

Names for potential jurors are randomly drawn from voter registration lists obtained from the California Secretary of State, and from lists of driver's license/identification cards obtained from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

You may postpone your jury service one time for up to six months. Your request must be submitted at least two weeks before the start of your on-call period. You can request a postponement online after submitting your online questionnaire, or by emailing the jury office of the courthouse from which you were summoned. When requesting a postponement, please be prepared to identify a two-week period within the next six months to which your service can be rescheduled.

Many requests for excuse – and any excuses related to financial hardship – may only be granted by a judge. You may be excused from service on request if you:

1. Are 75 years of age or older;
2. Have reported to court for jury service in the past 12 months. You must have been present in court for at least one day and must provide a certificate of attendance from the other court showing the date(s) you were present;
3. Are solely responsible for the care of a preschool child or an aged or infirm person and you are not employed outside the home;
4. Serve as a volunteer firefighter or member of a volunteer rescue squad or ambulance crew;
5. Reside more than 80 miles from the courthouse to which you are summoned. This excuse must be requested on your questionnaire response and is based on one way mileage to the courthouse you were summoned to;
6. Will suffer severe hardship. You must provide evidence available to support your claim. If a medical hardship, you must submit a letter from your medical provider.

The Court does not typically exclude nursing mothers from service, and instead accommodates their needs and privacy during jury service.

The boundaries of the Northern District of California include the following 15 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. If you live in any of these counties, you are subject to jury service in one of the court's four locations: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose or Eureka. Once you are summoned to one location, your service cannot be transferred to any other location.

If your trip to the courthouse would be inconveniently long, you may be eligible to stay at a hotel near the courthouse with court reimbursement, along with payment for meals and incidental expenses, so long as you obtain prior authorization from the jury office. Please email jury@cand.uscourts.gov for more information.

Pursuant to Title 28, U.S.C. § 1875, “No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the United States.”

You should notify your employer that you are required to be on standby for your two-week on-call period and that you may be required to appear on one day's notice during this time. The Jury Office provides certificates of attendance on a daily basis as proof of your presence in court.

Please note that there is no law requiring employers to pay employees for time missed due to jury service. While some employers may continue to pay your regular wages, your employer may require you to forfeit the attendance fee paid by the court to jurors who attend in person. If your employer instructs you to waive your attendance fee, you can complete a Fee Waiver form provided by the jury office.

For more information, please check your employer’s jury duty policy.

Jurors are paid an attendance fee of $50.00 per day. Regardless of means of travel, jurors also receive round-trip mileage from their home to the courthouse at the rate currently authorized by the Internal Revenue Service. The court validates juror parking at check in at specific parking lots near the courthouse, and reimburses bridge tolls when applicable.

The jury summons includes the addresses of parking lots in the vicinity of the courthouse where the court validates parking. You must bring your parking stub to the jury office for validation. If you park at any lot other than those listed, the court will not be able to validate your ticket; the court will not reimburse you for parking expenses incurred at lots not listed unless parking at the listed lots is for some reason impossible. Metered street parking should be avoided as there will not be regular opportunities to leave the courthouse during the day to feed parking meters.

Jurors are allowed to bring electronic devices (such as laptops and phones) into the courthouse. Electronic devices must be turned off in courtrooms and whenever the judge so orders. Jurors are expected to be courteous of fellow jurors and court staff by keeping conversation volumes low. Photography is prohibited in the courthouse at all times.

A prospective juror may not enter a federal building with any item that appears to pose a threat to security of safety including, but not limited to:

• Knives and bladed items, regardless of blade length;
• Metal forks, corkscrews and other kitchen utensils with a blade or sharp point;
• Knitting needles; handcuff keys or lock-picking implements.

As of July 1, 2014, the U.S. Marshal will no longer take temporary possession of prohibited items. Individuals who visit the courthouse with these or other prohibited items will not be allowed to enter the building.

Jurors should dress comfortably. “Business casual” attire is generally appropriate. Very casual attire such as tank tops, halters, shorts, flip-flops and the like are not appropriate. A sweater or light jacket is recommended as the courtrooms can get cold.

Smoking is prohibited within the courthouse and within 25 feet of any doorway. Smoking is permitted in outdoor areas 25 feet or more from courthouse doorways. Smoking materials must be disposed of properly.

There will be comfort breaks at appropriate times during the proceedings.

Jurors are welcome to bring lunch, there is a refrigerator and microwave available for juror use in each courthouse.

In the San Francisco courthouse, the following food service options are available to the public (and an ATM machine is located on the second floor):

• A cafeteria on the second floor of the Federal Building, Café 450, serves breakfast and lunch;
• A snack and sandwich shop on the 10th floor, the Midway Café, is open until 4:00 p.m.;

In the Oakland courthouse, a cafeteria is located on the fifth floor of the South Tower, The Tasty Lunchstop Café, serving breakfast, lunch and snacks. Hours: 6:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Restaurants are also available within a short walking distance of all the courthouses.

The Court provides a private room in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose courthouses to accommodate visitors’ nursing-related needs. The availability of this designated space will be prioritized for use as a lactation room. The interior is shielded from view, and the private room provides an electrical outlet, desktop area, access to a nearby sink, and a door that locks with an indicator that the room is occupied.

Locations

• San Francisco: 18th floor Attorney Lounge
• Oakland: 4th floor Attorney Lounge
• San Jose: 4th floor, Room 4074 by Courtroom 6

You should not bring your children to court as there are no facilities for them.

Any person who fails to report for jury duty may be served with an order to show cause. The court may then hold a hearing on the order to show cause. A juror who fails to show adequate cause for the absence can be held in contempt of court under the Jury Selection Act. The penalty can be a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days imprisonment, a term of community service, or any combination of these.