SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Jury duty. If you're selected, there's a good chance you dread the day you have to show up at the courthouse, waiting patiently to see whether or not you get selected.
But, do you know how the jury duty actually works?
First off, let's talk about how jurors are picked. People are randomly chosen to serve from voter lists. They then have to take a questionnaire to see if they legally meet the qualifications. And yes, you have to respond to your jury notice because it is the law. There's penalties if you don't.
You may ask yourself, "but what if I have to work, too?" Your employer is supposed to let you attend jury duty, so don't worry about that.
Let’s say you meet the qualifications for jury summons. You now have to go to court. The judge and attorneys ask you questions and decide whether or not you serve on the jury. California law says you only have to serve once a year.
Now, let's say you get picked, here's what you have to do: you listen to opening and closing arguments, decide if witnesses are believable, look at the evidence and make a decision on the case. What you can't do: talk to anyone about the case or do outside research.
Does jury duty make a little more sense now?
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