If you have been summoned for Fresno County jury duty, your first task is not to show up on the printed date. Call (559) 457-1600 or log into the court’s online Jury Portal after 5:00 p.m. the evening before your service date to find out whether you actually need to report. Fresno County Superior Court follows California’s one-day-or-one-trial system, so most people finish their obligation in a single day, earn $15 per day plus mileage starting on day two, and cannot be fired for answering the call.
How to Check Your Reporting Status
Don’t assume the date on the summons is the day you appear. After 5:00 p.m. the night before, check in one of two ways: the automated phone line at (559) 457-1600 or the court’s online Jury Portal. Both ask for the juror badge number and PIN printed on your summons, so keep the paperwork handy. The system may tell you to come in the next morning, call back later in the week, or that you’re released without reporting at all.1Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. Juror Information
Who Can and Can’t Serve
California sets the same eligibility rules in every county. To serve on a jury in Fresno County you must be a United States citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of the county where you were summoned, and fluent enough in English to follow proceedings.
Several groups are legally disqualified even when they meet the basic rules:
- Anyone already sitting on a grand jury or trial jury in any California court.
- Anyone currently incarcerated in a prison or jail.
- Anyone convicted of a felony whose civil rights have not been restored.
- Anyone currently on parole, postrelease community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for a felony conviction.
- Anyone required to register as a sex offender based on a felony conviction.
- Anyone who is the subject of a conservatorship.
If any of these apply, contact the Fresno County Jury Commissioner’s office rather than ignoring the summons. The court still needs to hear from you.2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 203
Postponing or Getting Excused
If the date doesn’t work, request a postponement through the Jury Portal or the automated phone line at (559) 457-1600. The court generally grants postponements for up to nine months from the original date, though it recommends picking a new date within six months.1Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. Juror Information
Being excused entirely is harder. California law allows excusals only for undue hardship on you personally or on the public. No occupation or economic status is automatically exempt. Qualifying circumstances can include a serious medical condition, being the sole caregiver for someone who cannot care for themselves, or extreme financial hardship beyond the normal inconvenience of missing work. Submit the request through the Jury Portal or contact the Jury Commissioner’s office, and the court decides whether the circumstances qualify.3California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 204
What Happens If You Ignore the Summons
Throwing the summons away can get expensive. If you fail to show up or respond, the court can issue an order to show cause and find you in contempt. More commonly, the court imposes monetary sanctions: up to $250 for a first violation, up to $750 for a second, and up to $1,500 for a third or subsequent failure within the same jury pool cycle. You’ll get notice and a chance to explain yourself before any fine is imposed, but “I forgot” isn’t likely to satisfy a judge.4California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 209
If your circumstances have genuinely changed, use the postponement or excusal process. The court is far more accommodating when you communicate.
What to Bring and Expect at the Courthouse
Fresno County jury service takes place at the Downtown Main Location, 1100 Van Ness Avenue. Everyone entering passes through a security checkpoint with a metal detector and X-ray scanner. Weapons of any kind are prohibited, including pocket knives of any size, stun guns, tear gas, scissors, and knitting needles. Small items that could be considered weapons will be confiscated, so leave them at home or in your car.
Free parking is available in Garage 4 for jurors reporting to the downtown location; pick up your parking pass inside the jury office after checking in. The court asks that you dress neatly and avoid shorts, hats, and tank tops. Electronic devices must be silenced or turned off inside the courthouse. Phones are generally allowed for use during breaks, but photography inside the building is not permitted.5Superior Court of California, County of Fresno. Visiting the Court
After you check in at the Jury Assembly Room, you’ll wait until groups are called to individual courtrooms for jury selection.
How Long You’ll Serve
California’s one-day-or-one-trial policy keeps service short for most people. If you report to the courthouse and are not assigned to a courtroom for jury selection by the end of the day, your obligation is complete. The same applies if you’re sent to a courtroom for selection but not chosen. Either way, you’re done, and you won’t be summoned again for at least 12 months.
If you are selected and sworn in, you serve through the end of that trial, whether it lasts two days or two weeks. Most trials wrap up within about a week. The judge sets the daily schedule and tells you when to return each day. Once the jury reaches a verdict or the judge discharges you, your service ends.6Judicial Council of California. One Day or One Trial Jury Service
Pay, Mileage, and Job Protection
Fresno County jurors receive $15 per day for each day of attendance after the first day. The first day is unpaid. Mileage is reimbursed at $0.34 per mile for travel to and from the courthouse, also starting on the second day. These rates are set by state statute and apply in every California superior court.7California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 215
Your employer cannot fire, threaten, or retaliate against you for serving. They are not required to pay your regular wages while you’re at the courthouse, but they cannot penalize you for answering the summons, whether you’re gone one day or several weeks.8California Legislative Information. California Labor Code Section 230
Some employers voluntarily continue paying full salary during jury service. If yours does, check whether they require you to turn over the court-issued jury fees in exchange. That arrangement is legal and fairly common at larger employers.
Reporting Jury Pay on Taxes
Jury duty pay counts as taxable income. Report it on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8h. The total is usually small, but the IRS expects you to include it.
If your employer paid your full salary during service and required you to hand over the jury fees, deduct the surrendered amount on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 24a. That adjustment keeps you from being taxed on money you never actually kept. Save your jury service documentation and any receipts showing the fees went to your employer.9Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income
Accessibility Accommodations
If a disability affects your ability to get to the courthouse, sit through proceedings, or communicate in the courtroom, contact the Jury Commissioner’s office as soon as you receive the summons. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the courthouse must be physically accessible, and the court can arrange accommodations such as assistive listening devices, sign language interpreters, or wheelchair-accessible seating in the jury box. A disability does not automatically disqualify you from serving; the court evaluates whether a reasonable accommodation would allow you to participate.