Jurors serving at specified courthouses throughout Los Angeles County who waive their right to a mileage reimbursement can now opt for a free Metro TAP card or Metrolink tickets for the duration of their service, if they have been instructed to return for service on a second or subsequent day, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor announced.
“I am proud to offer residents of Los Angeles County these free environmentally friendly transportation options to make it easier for them to fulfill their civic duty of serving on a jury,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “By providing Metro TAP cards or Metrolink tickets to jurors on the first and any subsequent day of service, the Court is building upon its commitment to ensuring jury service is accessible and our jury pools remain reflective of our diverse county population. A special thanks to Metro and Metrolink for their partnership on these programs.”
Presiding Judge Taylor initiated the expansion of the transportation programs as part of an effort to remove barriers for jurors to fulfill their obligation to serve.
The dual transportation programs allow jurors to waive their right to mileage reimbursement (34 cents per mile, one-way only), in exchange for free Metro TAP cards or Metrolink tickets. Metro TAP cards are provided for buses and rail lines throughout the County (including the A (Blue), B (Red), C (Green), L (Gold), D (Purple) and E (Expo) lines) for jurors serving at the following courthouses: Airport, Alhambra, Burbank, Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, Compton, East Los Angeles, Glendale, Governor George Deukmejian (Long Beach), Inglewood, Metropolitan, Norwalk, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Stanley Mosk and Van Nuys Courthouses. Metrolink tickets can be used for commuter trains while serving in Downtown Los Angeles courthouses (Stanley Mosk, Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center and Spring Street).
When jurors summoned to one of the courthouses listed above are ordered to return on a second or subsequent day, they are now entitled to free Metro TAP cards or Metrolink tickets for the duration of their service. TAP cards are good for a week of unlimited travel on most Metro buses and Metro rail lines (some extended zones – Express, Transitways and Busways – may require an additional fee). Jurors may continue to use the TAP card if jury service is completed prior to the expiration date. Jurors opting for the Metrolink program will receive two, two-way tickets in exchange for their earned mileage reimbursement.
These expanded transportation programs will help jurors avoid traffic stress and parking hassles and will also provide environmental benefits. Additional details on the Court’s transportation programs for jurors are available on the Court’s jury webpage.
Submitted by LASC
