Model Juror Summons Project

California courts send out millions of juror summonses a year. In the mid-1990s, a Blue Ribbon Commission on Jury System Improvements recommended (among other measures) that the judiciary develop a statewide juror summons. The Judicial Council charged its Task Force on Jury System Improvements to produce a standardized summons that would help the public understand the need for jury service, respond to the summons properly, and perform jury service. Courts can adopt the summons voluntarily.

Project History
Beginning in 1999, the task force collected and reviewed sample one-step summonses from courts around the state and identified the basic necessities of a summons. To clarify and simplify the summons, the task force decided to put introductory court information—such as the dress code for jurors, court amenities, and frequently asked questions—in a separate pamphlet sent with the summons, so that the summons would have a cleaner, more open layout. The task force then worked with design and communications consultants to develop and refine drafts of the model summons and the juror information pamphlet.

The task force put the documents before potential jurors in focus groups to gauge their reactions and fine-tune improvements.

Legislative Mandate
Assembly Bill 1814, enacted in 2000, mandated the adoption of a "standardized jury summons for use, with appropriate modifications, around the state, that is understandable and has consumer appeal."

Impacts

• Randomly selected jurors in the pilot jurisdictions were surveyed about their reactions to the new summons and the "Court and Community" pamphlet. The findings showed a significant improvement in juror comprehension of the summons and knowledge about jury service.
• Data were collected on juror compliance rates in the pilot program courts. The results showed a small increase in juror compliance versus the same period the previous year, before the courts were using the standardized summons.
• A working group of court executives helped roll out the model summons to more courts in 2004 and 2005, with technical assistance from the Administrative Office of the Courts.
• Courts are exploring pooled printing and summoning practices, to be implemented once they have standardized summonses, to increase efficiency and lower costs. The Superior Courts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties began using a common summons and brochure in March 2005.
• The Superior Court of Los Angeles County ran a pilot of its adaptation of the model summons and juror pamphlet in three locations for two months and began countywide use in May 2005.
• The Superior Courts of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin Counties are developing a common summons form to implement in late summer 2005.

View California's standardized summons (PDF, 124 KB).