Disqualification

Qualifications for jury service are established by California Code of Civil Procedure, Section 203, and are outlined below.  If you find that you are not qualified to serve, please complete the portion of your summons titled "Disqualification."  Once completed, detach, reseal and return the Affidavit by mail, or hand carry it to the Jury Commissioner's office.  Affidavits must be received by the jury office at least three working days prior to your service.  Otherwise, you are expected to be available as schedule with disqualification to be determined by the Judge in Court.

YOU MUST:

• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a resident of Amador County
• Have sufficient understanding of the English language
• Have had your rights reinstated if convicted of a felony or malfeasance

YOU MUST NOT:

• Be currently serving as a Grand Juror
• Be under Court appointed conservatorship
• Have been convicted of a felony or malfeasance in office
• Peace Officer pursuant to 830.1(a) or 830.2(b)(c) of the Penal Code, excluding correctional officers, CYA Employees and retired officers.

Request for Postponement

Our courts deal with issues that affect our neighborhoods, our families, the business community and quality of life in our community.  Everyone must participate in the process created to resolve these issues.  That may mean rearranging schedules, cancelling appointments and missing work.  Jury staff will be as flexible as possible when scheduling jurors for jury service.

If your summoned date is not convenient, you may request ONE postponement for a period of up to 90 days.  (Students & Teachers may re rescheduled to the next school break.  Breastfeeding mothers may be postponed for a period of up to one year.)

To request a postponement, please complete the portion of your summons titled "Request for an Excuse or One Time Postponement."  Once completed, detach, seal and return the Affidavit by mail, or hand carry it to the Jury Commissioner's office.  The jury office must receive the affidavit at least three working days prior to your service,  Otherwise, you are expected to be available as scheduled.

Email your Postponement Request

Request for Excuse

California Rule of Court, Rule 2.1008, specifies the grounds on which the Jury Commissioner's Office is allowed to excuse jurors from jury service.  It states, "Jury service, unless excused by law, is a responsibility of citizenship.  The Court and its staff shall employ all necessary and appropriate means to ensure that citizens fulfill this important and civic duty."  Postponing jury service is preferred to excusing a prospective juror.  Inconvenience to a prospective juror or employer is not an adequate reason to be excused from jury duty.  Requests must be made in writing and supported with facts and/or appropriate documentation as outlined below.

In order to be excused, jury service must represent an undue hardship as outlined below.

1. The prospective juror has no reasonably available means of public or private transportation.
   
2. The prospective juror has a personal obligation to provide actual and necessary care to another.  Substitute care is available or practical with out imposing undue economic hardship on the prospective juror or person being cared for.
   
3. The prospective juror has a serious physical or mental condition and jury service would expose him/her to undue risk of physical or mental harm.  NOTE:  IF THE JUROR IS UNDER 70 YEARS OLD, HE/SHE MUST OBTAIN A STATEMENT FROM A DOCTOR THAT CLEARLY STATES THAT THE JUROR CANNOT SERVE JURY DUTY FOR MEDICAL REASONS.
   
4. The prospective juror has served on a grand or trial jury within the preceding 12 months.
   
5. The prospective juror would suffer an extreme financial burden.  This request for excuse must be requested in Court on the day of the summons.  In determining whether to excuse the prospective juror the judge will give consideration to the following:

• The sources of the prospective juror's household income,
• The availability and extend of income reimbursement,
• The expected length of service, and
• Whether service can reasonably be expected to compromise that person's ability to support himself or herself or his or her dependents, or so disrupt the economic stability of any individual as to be against the interests of justice.