The Superior Court of Ventura County celebrates Juror Appreciation Week, May 14-18, 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. Juror Appreciation week is now an annual event in courts throughout the state.
Juror participation guarantees that everyone has the right to a trial where they can be heard and judged by their peers. In recognition of this valuable service, the judicial branch has worked to make jury duty less burdensome with one-day or one-trial service, plain-language jury instructions, and other improvements.
Ventura Superior Court was awarded grant funding from the Judicial Council to update technology in Jury Services. The technology upgrades in 2017 include installation of Express Check-in Kiosks that streamlined the check-in process and reduced waiting time. The jury summons format was revised to simplify use, improve readability and create a document that can scan information and archive electronically. Online access was enhanced and coordinated with the new summons to enable requests by jurors to be processed electronically 24/7. Additional seating was added to the assembly room, audio and visual upgrades are ongoing, and increased Internet bandwidth and WiFi access points were installed in 2017. The technology updates have improved service to citizens who appear daily for jury duty.
Ventura Superior Court appreciates the sacrifices and essential contribution of jurors to our justice system. In celebration of Juror Appreciation Week, Commissioner Derek Malan will give the morning address, banners honoring jurors will be displayed throughout the courthouse, light refreshments, bookmarks, crossword puzzles, and a certificate of appreciation signed by the California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Ventura Superior Court Presiding Judge Patricia M. Murphy will be available to serving jurors.
“On behalf of all of the judges and the entire court staff, we thank our jurors for their valuable time and service. Jury service is not just an obligation; it is an opportunity and a fundamental right that all citizens have to participate in our justice system. We enjoy the fruits of democracy only when we actively, and sometimes inconveniently, work at it. We appreciate that the people we serve in this community value our justice system, including the critical right to a jury trial,” Hon. Patricia M. Murphy, Presiding Judge.
For more information, contact Nan Richardson, Court Program Manager at (805) 289- 8663 and or visit the Jury Service section of the Ventura Superior Court website at www.ventura.courts.ca.gov.
http://www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/pr/pr2018_0510.pdf
Categorized in: Court Notices
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