The O.C. Superior Court celebrates Juror Appreciation Week, May 12-16

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Orange County Superior Courts

Santa Ana, CA – The Orange County Superior Court will celebrate Juror Appreciation Week, May 12-16, 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.” Jurors in Orange County who report for jury service during the week of May 12-16 will receive a small memento from the court.

“The right to a jury trial is the cornerstone of our existence as a nation of laws. Our access to impartial justice is spelled out and guaranteed by our Constitution. It is that access that provides our right to a trial where one can be heard and judged by one’s peers,” said Presiding Judge Maria D. Hernandez.

“We recognize the valuable service of juries, and we are always working 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,” she added.

If you are requested to appear in person during Jury Appreciation week, you can anticipate being greeted by court staff with a token of appreciation for your time, commitment and support.

As a reminder, members of the public are randomly selected to serve as “call-in” prospective jurors. All prospective jurors are directed to call and listen to a prerecorded message starting on Friday after 5:00 p.m., to receive instructions on their service for the following business day. While some prospective jurors will be asked to continue to call for next-day morning reporting instructions after 5:00 p.m., others may be asked to call mid-day for possible afternoon reporting instructions regarding their service. The call-in requirement can last up to five business days.

For more information on jury service, visit www.occourts.org and click on “Jury Service,” or visit the Jury Service section of the California Courts website.

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Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions.

When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.