Contra Costa County Superior Court to implement new weekly jury summons model beginning in 2027
Ends midday call-ins, reduces number of jurors summoned, and aligns Contra Costa County with most Bay Area courts
By Dan Radovich, ADA and Communications Manager, Contra Costa County Superior Court
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Beginning January 4, 2027, the Contra Costa County Superior Court will transition to a weekly jury summons model. Residents will be summoned for jury service less often under this new model, which is projected to reduce the number of jurors summoned each year by approximately 20%. The change also eliminates midday call-ins. Instead, jurors will know the day before whether they need to report. The first summonses under the weekly model will be mailed beginning November 9, 2026.
The change results, in part, from the Court’s strategic planning process and the feedback residents provided about their experience with jury service in Contra Costa County. The Court reviewed its jury operations and historical data, identifying weekly summonsing as a practical way to make jury service less disruptive. Weekly summonsing also brings the Court in line with most other Bay Area courts, which already summon jurors by the week.
What the Change Means for Jurors
Residents will be summoned for a service week instead of a single day. Under the Court’s new model:
- A full day’s notice. Jurors will check their reporting instructions by 5:00 p.m. beginning the court day before their service week. Jurors who are not asked to report must continue to check their reporting instructions each court day until their service week ends.
- Service is complete if not asked to report during service week. Jurors who are not asked to report during their service week will have fulfilled their jury service and will not be summoned again for at least 12 months.
Service weeks will begin on Monday, or Tuesday when Monday is a court holiday. Under the current system, jurors are often instructed to call in at 11:30 a.m. and then asked to report by 1:00 p.m. that afternoon. The new weekly model eliminates midday call-ins and same-day reporting. However, it does not change what happens when jurors report. Under the statewide “one day or one trial” policy, jurors
who report and are not assigned to a courtroom will complete their jury service that same day. Jurors assigned to a courtroom for jury selection or impaneled on a trial will return as directed by the judge.
Expected Impact
In 2025, the Court mailed over 305,000 jury summonses to support more than 250 criminal, civil, and probate jury trials. Weekly summonsing allows Jury Services to better match the number of jurors asked to report with courtroom needs on a given day. Based on its analysis of 2025 data, the Court projects the model will:
- Reduce the number of annual summonses by approximately 61,000.
- Save approximately $31,000 a year in printing and postage costs.
The Court will evaluate actual results following implementation, including summons volume, failure-to-appear rates, juror utilization, and courthouse operations.
“Jury service is an important civic responsibility, but we also recognize that it can be challenging to fit into work, family, and other obligations,” said Sarah Lind, Court Executive Officer and Jury Commissioner. “This new model is a meaningful step toward making jury service more predictable and manageable for residents, while continuing to meet the needs of our courtrooms.”
Jurors will continue to have the option to receive their reporting instructions by text message or email. Additional information about the Court’s new jury summons model and instructions for signing up for text message and email notifications are available on the Juror Service Center page of the Court’s website: contracosta.courts.ca.gov/jury. Jury Services may be contacted by phone at (925) 608-1001.
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New CCC Jury Summons
