San Mateo Superior Court Celebrates Juror Appreciation Week

From the County Manager's Office: The Superior Court of San Mateo County will celebrate Juror Appreciation Week, May 8–12, to recognize the service and participation of jurors from our community. Recognition for jurors during the second week in May was established by a special resolution passed by the California Legislature in 1998 to acknowledge the important contributions of citizens who devote their time and effort in “making the cherished right of trial by jury a reality.”

As part of the Court’s recognition of Juror Appreciation Week, Presiding Judge Susan Irene Etezadi or Assistant Presiding Judge Jonathan E. Karesh will personally thank our jury panels for their participation and service. Each prospective juror will also receive a certificate of special recognition signed by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, as well as small tokens of appreciation.

“Jurors guarantee that everyone has the right to a trial where they can be heard and judged by their peers”, said Presiding Judge Etezadi. “In recognition of this valuable service, the judicial branch has worked to make jury duty less burdensome with one-day or one-trial service, plain-language jury instructions, and other improvements. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices and contributions jurors make to our justice system.” The San Mateo Court is continuing to explore further improvements to the jury service experience, as funding allows, such as juror notification via text messaging and auto-check in when reporting for jury service.

• Approximately 8 million people are summoned to jury service;
• More than 3 million prospective jurors are eligible and available to serve; and
• Approximately 80 percent of prospective jurors who report to the courthouse in person complete service in one day.

Even California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye was called and reported for jury service on March 23 of last year.

For more information on jury service, contact the San Mateo Superior Court Jury Division at 650- 599-1700; go to the Court’s website at www.sanmateocourt.org/court_divisions/juror_services/; or visit the Jury Service section of the California Courts website.

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