California Courts Celebrate Jurors

In 1998, the California Legislature designated the second full week in May as Juror Appreciation Week to honor the sacrifices and contributions of citizens who uphold the right of trial by jury and to raise awareness about their contribution to the court system.

“The very existence of juries and jury trials provides all of us one of the basic guarantees of access to impartial justice spelled out in our Constitution, our right to a trial where one can be heard and judged by their peers,” said Orange County Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez. “We deeply appreciate the sacrifices and contributions jurors make to our justice system.”

During Juror Appreciation Week, many courts make an extra effort to recognize those fulfilling their jury service, such as:

• Alameda Superior Court: Jurors meet judges who will discuss the functions of the justice system and personally thank all who fulfilled their civic duty
• Humboldt Superior Court: Additional snacks and food, as well as jury-themed games and activities
• Imperial Superior Court: Welcome banner, certificates of appreciation, and snacks
• Sacramento Superior Court: Tote bag with a reusable water bottle, hand sanitizer, and a certificate of appreciation
• San Bernardino Superior Court: Certificates of appreciation, snacks, drinks, and word games
• San Francisco Superior Court: Lunch, cookies, and goodie bag
• San Mateo Superior Court: Festive banners and decorations, snack baskets, and word search and crossword puzzles
• Santa Clara Superior Court: New text/email notification service to communicate with jurors serving on trials at the courthouse
• Tulare Superior Court: Buttons, snacks, and refreshments

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Making the Jury System Better for Jurors
In addition to Juror Appreciation Week, the California courts show their appreciation for jurors all year round. See some recent statewide initiatives to improve jury service in California.