If you miss jury duty in Los Angeles, the Superior Court will not send anyone to your door. It sends a follow-up notice first, then a formal Failure to Appear notice, and only later an Order to Show Cause requiring you to appear before a judge. Call the Los Angeles Superior Court Jury Services number on your summons as soon as you realize you missed the date, and in most cases you will simply be rescheduled with no penalty.
How the Court Escalates After a No-Show
The Los Angeles County Superior Court works through a stepped process rather than jumping straight to punishment. First comes a second summons or follow-up notice reminding you that you failed to respond. Ignore that and the court sends a formal Failure to Appear notice stating the date you missed and warning of further action.
If you still don’t respond, the court issues an Order to Show Cause. This document sets a specific date, time, and courthouse where you must appear before a judge and explain why you didn’t serve. That’s the point where the matter stops being administrative and becomes a legal proceeding. Ignoring the Order to Show Cause can lead to a warrant of attachment, which authorizes law enforcement to bring you in.
Judicial Council guidance confirms this ladder: a judge can issue a warrant of attachment and set bail for a juror who was personally served with an Order to Show Cause and still didn’t appear.1Judicial Council of California. Failure to Appear Toolkit – Increasing Jury Service Participation Warrants are a last resort. The court wants you to serve, not to arrest you.
Fines and Possible Jail Time
California treats skipping jury duty as potential contempt of court. Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 209, a judge can impose escalating fines after an Order to Show Cause hearing:
- First violation: up to $250
- Second violation: up to $750
- Third or subsequent violation: up to $1,500
These are caps, not mandatory minimums. The judge has discretion to impose less, or nothing at all, depending on your explanation.2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 209 – Trial Jury Selection and Management Act
A contempt finding can also carry jail time. Section 209 points to penalties “as otherwise provided by law,” which lands on Code of Civil Procedure Section 1218. That section caps civil contempt at a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to five days, or both.3California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1218 Jail for a missed summons is extremely rare and generally reserved for people who repeatedly ignore court orders, but it is legally available.
What to Do Right After You Miss
If the date has already passed, call the court. Use the Jury Services number printed on your summons or on any notice you’ve received. The sooner you reach out, the more likely the matter is resolved with a new service date and nothing more.
In most cases, the Jury Commissioner’s Office will simply reschedule you. Being proactive signals that you intend to serve and had a conflict, which is the outcome the court prefers. Waiting until an Order to Show Cause lands in your mailbox raises the stakes and makes the fix harder.
What Happens at an Order to Show Cause Hearing
If it reaches a hearing, this is your chance to explain the absence to a judge. It isn’t a trial. You’ll be called forward, the judge will ask why you didn’t appear, and you’ll answer. Bring any documentation that supports your reason: medical paperwork, work records, proof of a family emergency.
The judge has wide discretion over what comes next. Outcomes range from rescheduling your service with no penalty to imposing the fines above. For someone who forgot or had a scheduling conflict, showing up and being cooperative tends to resolve the matter without lasting consequences.2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 209 – Trial Jury Selection and Management Act
If You Haven’t Missed Yet, Postpone
If your service date is coming up and the timing is bad, postpone before the date rather than skip. The Los Angeles Superior Court’s My Jury Duty Portal lets you request a postponement online. This is far simpler than explaining a no-show after the fact.
California also allows excusal, but only on a narrow ground: undue hardship on you or the public. The California Rules of Court define what qualifies, including lack of transportation, excessive travel distance, extreme financial burden, caregiving duties with no substitute, a disability or medical condition, and public safety roles that cannot be covered. Jurors 70 or older can be excused for a medical condition without a doctor’s note. Excusal requests go to the Jury Commissioner in writing before your service date.4Judicial Branch of California. Rule 2.1008 – Excuses From Jury Service
Your Job Is Protected
Fear of workplace fallout drives many no-shows, and California law covers this directly. Under Labor Code Section 230, your employer cannot fire, demote, or retaliate against you for taking time off to serve, as long as you give reasonable notice that you’ve been summoned.5California Legislative Information. California Labor Code 230
If an employer retaliates anyway, you’re entitled to reinstatement and reimbursement of lost wages and benefits, and you can file a complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Willful refusal to rehire or restore an employee after a finding in the employee’s favor is a misdemeanor. California law does not require your employer to pay your wages during jury service; some do as a benefit, but it isn’t mandated.
Watch for Jury Duty Scam Calls
Scammers routinely impersonate court officials, call people claiming they missed jury duty, and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest. The calls often use spoofed numbers that look like a courthouse or sheriff’s line, and the “fine” is payable only by gift card, prepaid card, Venmo, Zelle, or cryptocurrency.
Real courts don’t work this way. Summonses arrive by U.S. Mail, follow-ups come in writing, and any fine for missing jury duty can only be imposed after you’ve appeared in court and had a chance to explain. No judge asks for a gift card number over the phone. If you get a call like this, hang up and call the Los Angeles County Superior Court Jury Services office directly to check your actual status.