Keep an eye on incoming mail you receive because you may just get a jury summons.
The San Diego Superior Court announced Tuesday it began to mail out summonses for jury duty again after putting a pause on service due to the coronavirus pandemic. Jury trials came to a halt in March and the court states it is following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to safely resume.
Temperature screenings, increased cleaning efforts and mandatory social distancing and facial coverings are standards the court will take to keep potential jurors safe. Plexiglass will divide those who are selected to serve on a jury and each seat will be kept at least six feet apart.
Fewer jurors will also be summoned to maintain proper social distancing at the courthouse. The Central Courthouse typically receives up to 400 people on an average day but because of the pandemic, it will only allow up to 20% capacity.
A telephone standby process will be adopted at the Central Courthouse. People who are summoned will have to call in each day for up to five days to see if they must report in-person the following day.
A newly developed online portal will give prospective jurors the opportunity to receive an alert if they are not required to appear in person.
San Diego Superior Court said that jury service for individuals who deferred their service through Oct. 8 will have their service considered as complete. Those who deferred service for after the date can expect a new summons.
Trials will once again begin at the Central Courthouse on Oct. 13, with service eventually spreading to other courthouses.
