United States Courthouse – Central District of California

Soooo have you ever wondered what its like to serve jury duty and what its like to actually serve at this court specifically… Well today is your lucky day and I’m going to let you know. So I had the pleasure of attending jury duty here. From the minute you walk in you are required to go through a security check point just like the airport screenings. You have to remove your watch, cellphone, any wires you may have and place them in a bin. In addition, you must take off your shoes and you must show your id. So you go through the screening and if everything is good you are cleared and you can gather your belongings and head over to the room you are designated to. So the court time I was told was at 745am. A very friendly woman opened the door and explained the process she was very clear with the directions and let it be known dont ask questions your questions will be answered when the time is right. So one by one we all stormed the room and sat on the chairs. The courthouse was kind enough to provide donuts and bottled water. Dont ask to go outside to use the restroom because they have restrooms inside the big room. They also have a break room with a vending machine, magazines, books and puzzles to keep you entertained. So after 15mins or so the woman working there stated that we were going to watch a video and the video would explain EVERYTHING!!! Sure enough it most certainly did. It was very informative and very clear. The lady had told us that she would call our names and we would be selected to go to one of the court rooms. In addition, we would have to get the juror badge and place it in the plastic cover and wear it on our shirts and make sure it was visible at all times. We also had to fill out a mileage form to be reimbursed for your mileage as well as if you had any travel hotel expenses if you travelled more than 80 miles plus.
So the 2^nd round I was one of the chosen ones to enter the court room to possibly be selected for a trial. So we get out instructions to go to a certain room on a certain floor and we just wait there a few mins till the court clerk comes out. The Court Clerk gave us each a number and we would announce ourselves by our number. I.e. juror number 3 or juror number 12. So we line up and we are asked to sit in a certain area. I won’t go into too much detail about the selection process but you do meet the Honorable judge, the lawyers and plantiff. You are asked to give your occupation, if your married, any children, their ages, your spouses occupation. Your childrens occupation, etc. They ask if you have any conflict of interest or if you need to be excused. It was a long process and a little nerve racking at first but you have to remain calm and make sure to always day your juror number when speaking. I have to tell you though I was FREEEEZING in the court room even with my jacket and pants my teeth were chattering not sure if it was nerves or what but my goodness it was soooooo cold in there. When I hear the magical word YOUR DISMISSED I jumped up and down (not really but in my mind I did). I was sooo cold oh and make sure you turn off your cell phone as there is no coverage what so ever and it just drains your battery.
Well I was dismissed but it wasnt over I still had to go back up to the original room and wait. An hour later it was lunch time. We were able to take an hour lunch and come back and wait. .wait…wait to see if we were called again. Thankfully we weren’t and were dismissed. They provide validation just make sure you parked in the lot they asked you to park in and make sure you get your work certificate printed if you need proof for work. All in all it was an interesting experience. Glad I was able to be a part of it. I was not selected but it’s okay. Clean court house, friendly people, overall a nice environment just a very cold snd boring one. I highly recommend you bring your own reading material magazines, books, and snacks because you will have plenty of your time on your hands. They also have a place where you can charge your phone too. :) Hope this helps! Oh and you will get paidddd… $ 40 a day plus mileage reimbursement :)

This place sucks.
I think… I don’t remember to be honest.

I am a practicing attorney and have had cases here before. I am not commenting on the federal courts in totality since all court have their issues. But this review is for this location. The staff and marshals are professional and generally friendly. If you have a question just ask and they are happy to help. The layout is pretty standard with only a few courtrooms per floor. So be sure to know where you are going before wondering to the elevators. There is not really a great lunch option in the building but the food court/​LA mall is right across the street if you want average variety.

Had federal jury duty here. Jury room is comfortable with good wifi, vending machines, tvs and they provided morning snacks and coffee for us. Staff was friendly. Staff was friendly and they validate your parking. Many eating options across the street in the los angeles mall.

I love the sense of history in this building.

I think this entry is mislabeled– it should be «Spring Street Court House, United States District Court, Central District of California.»
The address listed is for that of the Spring Street Court House, as supposed to the Roybal Federal Building/​Court House two blocks away. This building houses the main clerk’s office, and magistrate and district court judges. The design needs to be seen in person, and if you are at all a fan of «legal architecture» this is a must see.
Loses a star for frankly obsolete amenities.

I work at this Ninth Circuit court, so to avoid a conflict of interest I won’t offer any opinions on the division of the court that employs me. But I will say that the staff of the courthouse is incredibly friendly and competent. Whether you’re getting your car checked for bombs, finding your way through the basement tunnel, or having your office temperature checked by an infrared gun on an hourly basis, the staff is really on top of its game. Some people are put off by the simple and straightforward architecture of the building, especially when compared to the ornate and luxurious federal courts in San Francisco and Pasadena. But if you are a Legal Realist, like me, you’d rather do away with all of that pomp and take the law for what it is. If only the cafeteria would take credit cards and the food court across the street would find a way to lure a good coffee shop, I would place this among the very best places in the country to seek and deliver justice.