I. REGISTRATION
You must be registered with CoPO to receive notification regarding upcoming openings, to request to serve, or to serve on a CoPO Jury. By registering as a CoPO Juror with Court of Public Opinion, or by updating information supplied in the registration process, you are declaring under penalty of perjury, pursuant to the laws of the State of California, that the information you supplied is true and correct. This includes, but is not limited to, representations regarding city of residence, U.S. citizenship, ability to read and understand English, being over 18 years of age, and having no felony conviction.
Registration requires your provision of honest answers to ALL questions asked on the online Juror registration form, although the response to any question can be Decline to State if that response is provided as an option.
Each CoPO-registered Juror is required to promptly update their Juror profile if and when the information supplied in their registration changes, and to verify the accuracy of that information each time he or she signs up for a potential position on a Jury.
III. HEARING NOTIFICATIONS
Each time a hearing is scheduled, it will first be posted on the CoPO website. Jurors must be logged in to view the case and request to serve if it is available to them. Emails may also be sent to jurors in the relevant area to advise of openings and provide a link to request to serve as a Juror on that matter.
You must be a registered CoPO Juror to receive Juror Notifications regarding upcoming hearings, to request to serve as a Juror, or to serve on a CoPO Jury. By registering as a Juror with Court of Public Opinion, or by updating information supplied in the registration process, you are declaring under penalty of perjury, pursuant to the laws of the State of California, that the information you supplied is true and correct. This includes, but is not limited to, representations regarding city of residence, U.S. citizenship, ability to read and understand English, being over 18 years of age, and no felony conviction.
Each registered Juror is required to update their Juror profile if there are changes to the personal information they previously supplied, and to verify the accuracy of that information each time he or she signs up for a potential position on a Jury.
A. Excused Jurors
Based upon space concerns, Juror profiles, and/or Juror responses to pre-trial, written questions ("Voir Dire"), the Parties may determine that one or more members of the Jury Pool may not be a good fit for that case. In that event, during the Jury Selection process, the Parties may excuse (or remove) those potential Jurors from that case's Jury Pool, leaving the rest to constitute the final Jury Panel (the Jurors who will actually decide the case).
If a Juror is excused, they will receive an electronic notification. Juror status can also be viewed by each Juror on their CoPO Jury Profile page.
Jurors excused from service will NOT be entitled to payment of Jury Fees if they were excused from that matter at least 7 days prior to the scheduled commencement of the hearing. Jurors excused thereafter will be paid Jury Fees based upon the duration of their service, with a guaranteed ½-day minimum fee.
Being excused does not affect a Juror's right to payment for responding to additional Voir Dire questions, unless that Juror was excused as a result of their own misconduct, in which case no compensation shall be paid to that Juror.
No Jury Fees will be paid to any Juror who is excused as a result of their own misconduct, including a violation of these Terms of Service or CoPO's Privacy, Communication & Disclosure Policy.
Jurors dismissed for failing to meet technical requirements will not be entitled to payment (see Section IV.A, Technical Requirements).
IV. JURY SERVICE
Unless the hearing has been continued or canceled, or the Juror has been excused (see above), each Juror who has submitted a "Request to Serve" and "Confirmation of Attendance" must participate in the corresponding hearing as agreed.
A. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Cell phones may NOT be used to view CoPO proceedings.
Jurors who are dismissed due to technical issues, including connection failures, will not receive Jury Fees. CoPO is not responsible for equipment or connection failures, and no compensation will be paid if those failures prevent completion of service.
Minimum requirements:
- Windows or Mac 2017 and newer
- Google Chrome browser preferred
- Display resolution: 1280 x 800
- Disable any pop-up blockers
- Browser JavaScript must not be disabled
- The use of a proxy server is not allowed
- System MUST support video and audio, with a functioning webcam and microphone
Suggested (not required):
- Headphones or earbuds to reduce background noise and prevent audio feedback
Jurors must be able to independently operate the required technology, including accessing the video platform, without technical support. Jurors who are unable to do so could be dismissed without compensation.
B. THE HEARING
WHEN & HOW
Hearings may be streamed for simultaneous viewing by the entire Jury Panel during specified days/hours, and then the entire Jury Panel will simultaneously engage in online Jury Deliberations when, and for as long as, the Parties specify.
Alternatively, hearings may be recorded for individual streamed viewing before a specified deadline, and then the entire Jury Panel will simultaneously engage in online Jury Deliberations when, and for as long as, the Parties specify.
Jurors who will serve on a Jury Panel will be sent a reminder in advance, including a link to access their hearing. Jurors can also access their hearing through their Juror portal at www.CourtofPublicOpinion.com. Jurors are strongly encouraged to test their ability to connect to their hearing well in advance of its commencement time, and to immediately report any issues to CoPO Juror Services.
EACH JUROR IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THEIR INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, KNOWING THEIR DATES AND TIMES OF SERVICE, AND FOR SERVING AS AGREED.
Even a single Juror's failure to STRICTLY comply could compromise the integrity of the hearing. For the sake of the parties, your fellow Jurors, your Jury Fees, and possibly your ability to participate in future CoPO hearings, be responsible (including by showing up early and never being late, even by a minute), pay attention, and follow the evidence, law, and deliberations to wherever they lead you.
C. JUROR DASHBOARD
After logging into your hearing through the CoPO website, Jurors will be transported to the window through which they will view the hearing, the Juror Dashboard.
What will be visible in the main viewing window on the Juror Dashboard will depend on how the hearing was recorded. CoPO proceedings may be recorded by using a single camera or up to three cameras simultaneously. Where more than one camera is used to record any part of the proceeding, their recordings will be displayed simultaneously in minimized windows on your Juror Dashboard, with a maximized window displaying the view the Juror selects. Jurors may toggle between different views at any time. Jurors must be able to show themselves on camera at all times to confirm their presence.
No matter how the hearing was recorded, JURORS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS STREAMED.
- When viewing a simultaneously streamed proceeding: streaming will pause for two 15-minute breaks per half day, and for full-day hearings, a lunch break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Breaks will be called by the moderator (foreperson), who may be the client or a CoPO staff member. All Jurors are expected to watch the same proceedings at the same time, so any Juror who does not start a session or return from a break ON TIME will likely result in that Juror's exclusion from the remainder of the hearing and their forfeiture of any Jury Fees/Additional Voir Dire Fees accrued in association with the case.
- Hearings recorded for streamed viewing prior to a specified deadline: must be viewed in full. Jurors must complete their viewing of the entire video before the deadline specified by the Parties. Any failure to watch the entire hearing by the specified deadline may result in the removal of that Juror from that hearing, the forfeiture of all Fees that Juror accrued in association with that matter, and/or the ability to participate in other/future CoPO proceedings.
D. TAKING NOTES
Jurors will have access to a notes area through their Juror Dashboard. Notes are saved to the browser's own device localStorage and remains available through deliberations. CoPO, the parties, or other Jurors cannot access notes. For privacy reasons, Jurors are asked not to print or otherwise share their notes.
E. BOOKMARKING/TAGGING
While watching the streamed proceedings, Jurors may bookmark or tag exhibits and testimony they would like to return to during deliberations. Bookmarks are private to each Juror and remain available through deliberations.
F. JUROR CONDUCT DURING THE HEARING
G. NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH
Jurors must decide the case based upon the evidence and law presented to them during the hearing. Jurors are prohibited from separately visiting any location involved in the case, or from conducting any outside research, including by use of the internet or social media.
H. DELIBERATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS
Until the Verdict is rendered, Jurors are prohibited from discussing their case, or any aspect of it, with third persons or with anyone involved in the hearing, including the parties, their attorneys and their witnesses.
Jurors may not communicate with one another regarding the case, or any aspect of it, until the entire proceeding has been viewed and the time for Juror Deliberations has begun. At that time, Jurors will deliberate together live on the video platform. Even though opinions may differ, Jurors are expected to treat one another courteously during deliberations. During deliberations, all Jurors must be allowed to be heard. Jurors should not speak over one another. Each Juror may speak when the prior speaker has finished, or may raise a hand and wait to be called on by the moderator before speaking. To reduce background noise and prevent audio feedback, the use of headphones or earbuds is strongly recommended.
During Deliberations, Jurors will have access to their online notes, Jury instructions, all items of evidence admitted into evidence during the hearing, and to the video of the proceeding itself.
I. SUBMISSION OF VERDICT
At the conclusion of the time for jury deliberations, each Juror is required to promptly provide their own answers to each of the questions on the provided Verdict form.
DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" AT THE END OF THE VERDICT FORM UNTIL YOU HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE ANSWERS YOU HAVE INPUTTED ARE YOUR FINAL ANSWERS, AS THEY CANNOT SUBSEQUENTLY BE CHANGED.
The verdict answers provided by each Juror may be combined with those of the other Jurors for a final result. Do not be concerned with how that final calculation might be made. Depending upon how each Juror responds to each Verdict question, they may be automatically directed to skip certain questions and answer later ones. Do not be concerned if this occurs. You will not be permitted to "Submit" your verdict form until you have answered each question you are supposed to answer, and until you have affirmatively verified your answers under penalty of perjury.
Parties using this service are doing so in order that they might obtain a Jury Verdict. Accordingly, unless the proceeding is canceled or continued by the litigants, no compensation shall be paid to any Juror who fails to answer each of the Verdict questions they are supposed to answer.
When a Juror clicks "SUBMIT" at the end of the Verdict, a copy of their completed Verdict form will instantly be available to that Juror and to the Parties, on the verdicts page for your case number: https://www.courtofpublicopinion.com/hearings/verdicts. Jurors who note any discrepancy between their answers and those e-mailed/posted should immediately contact CoPO Juror Services.
J. JUROR DUTY TO COMPLETE SERVICE
Jurors must view the evidence and testimony when specified by the Parties. Failing to view the entire case, or to deliberate or submit a Verdict when specified, will be deemed a "Juror Cancellation" (see Section II, Juror Qualification), and will result in the Juror's forfeiture of any compensation associated with that matter, and potentially their exclusion from participation in future CoPO proceedings.
Any Juror who cancels their service after submitting a Request to Serve or a Confirmation of Attendance, including by failing to appear for a scheduled hearing without notice, except in cases of extraordinary circumstances such as a verifiable hospitalization or death of the Juror or a member of their household, may forfeit compensation and be permanently removed from future participation.
V. COMPENSATION
Within seven (7) business days of the conclusion of a hearing, each involved Juror will be compensated by check mailed to the address specified in the Juror's profile, or if the Juror so specifies, by electronic transfer via the Juror's selected payment method.
Payments are processed as promptly as possible, but may take up to seven (7) business days. Requests for expedited payment will not result in faster processing. Jurors are asked not to call or email CoPO staff regarding payment status during this period. Jurors who engage in aggressive or inappropriate conduct in demanding payment will be permanently excluded from participation in future CoPO focus groups.
Jurors are solely responsible for ensuring that the payment information listed in their CoPO account profile is accurate and up to date. Payments will be issued using the method and details specified in the Juror's profile. CoPO staff will not accept requests to alter or redirect payments on behalf of a Juror. If a Juror wishes to receive payment by another method, they must update their account profile before the conclusion of the hearing.
JURORS WHO FAIL TO COMPLETE THEIR SERVICE IN ACCORD WITH THESE TERMS OF SERVICE WILL NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR SERVICE OR FOR ANY ACT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH.
A. JURY FEES
Jury Fees will be paid to the Jurors participating in a case in accordance with the Jury Fee schedule in effect at the time the hearing was scheduled.
B. VOIR DIRE
Voir Dire is a question-answer process used by attorneys to evaluate which of the prospective Jurors they believe are best suited to hear their case. In order to assist in this process, Qualified Jurors are required to answer five (5) or more attorney-submitted questions prior to submitting a Request to Serve. If attorneys require prospective Jurors to answer five (5) or more questions, the prospective Jurors must answer all questions posed to them in order to submit a Request to Serve and must do so honestly and completely.
C. POST-VERDICT QUESTIONNAIRES
Post-Verdict Questionnaires are used by Parties to find out a bit more about what their Jurors thought about various aspects of the case they just heard. After submitting a Verdict, that case's Jurors will be able to access online any Post-Verdict Questionnaires that may have been submitted in association with that matter, and to respond to the questions contained therein. For each 10-question Questionnaire to which a Juror honestly and completely responds, that Juror will be compensated $25.00. Jurors are encouraged, but are not required to respond to any Post-Verdict Questionnaire. While some responses may simply be "yes" or "no" where appropriate, Jurors are encouraged to provide more detail whenever possible, as fuller answers are often more helpful to the Parties.
In order to protect the ability of lawyers to ask about things without the opposing side becoming aware of their areas of concern, and in order to promote candid responses from the Jurors, the questions asked in each Post-Verdict Questionnaire, and the responses to those questions, must remain ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL. Questionnaires and responses are password-protected and are only accessible by the asking and responding party. Jurors shall not reveal the questions they are asked, nor the responses they provided, to anyone else, not even to CoPO representatives. In the event that a question in a questionnaire asks for this confidential information, or for the Juror's private information, that Juror shall flag that question and not otherwise respond to it. Any violation of these confidentiality rules will be cause for the Juror's forfeiture of all compensation owed in association with that matter, as well as that Juror's permanent preclusion from future participation in any CoPO matter.
D. VERDICT BONUS
For every CoPO hearing which concludes with the submission of a Verdict, ONE (1) Juror who participated in that decision will be randomly selected to receive a $50 Verdict Bonus.
VI. ADDITIONAL TERMS
A. JURY SERVICE THROUGH CoPO DOES NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICIAL JURY SERVICE
CoPO is a private jury service and is not affiliated with any governmental entity or court system. Participants are NOT excused from complying with any official jury summons they may receive, or from providing jury service as required by law. Likewise, participants are NOT statutorily entitled to take leave from any other employment they may have, and they are NOT entitled to compensation from their employers, for jury service provided through CoPO.
B. HOURS OF JURY SERVICE
Video streaming to CoPO Jurors simultaneously is scheduled in half-day (4-hour) increments, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., including two 15-minute breaks per half-day. In cases in which Jurors are permitted to watch the video stream at their own pace, they must view the entire video before a specified deadline and will receive a ½-day's Jury Fees for every 3½ hours of video they watch. Deliberations following the complete review of all hearing video will occur when and for as long as the Parties specify in advance, and shall occur on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and/or from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
C. NO EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP
Jury service, and all acts associated therewith, are provided on an independent contractor basis, and no employment relationship shall be inferred therefrom. Jurors are solely responsible for payment of any and all taxes associated with the income they receive through CoPO, and for providing CoPO with their social security number if an IRS-1099 form is required. Jury service through CoPO is gig work, not employment, and creates no employer-employee relationship or entitlement to wages, benefits, or continued assignments. Jury service through CoPO is gig work and should not be relied upon as a primary source of income. Compensation is designed as supplemental pay for occasional participation, not as wages, benefits, or continued work.
D. COSTS & EXPENSES
Each Juror is responsible for their own costs of service, including the cost of any devices used, utilities/internet service, and any text/data charges. Jurors who do not wish to receive CoPO notifications by text may opt to receive notifications by e-mail by editing their account preferences.
E. NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
Other than such monies which are required to be paid through CoPO as published herein, CoPO Jurors shall not profit financially as a result of their participation in any CoPO proceeding. This specifically includes, but is not limited to, promises or payments of monies or other compensation which:
- could influence a decision; or
- results from the sale of information learned in, or stories about, any CoPO facilitated proceeding.
F. SENSITIVE MATTERS
Hearings scheduled with CoPO occasionally involve topics or evidence that may be considered sensitive, offensive or disturbing. By submitting a "Request to Serve," you consent to your exposure to such topics or evidence in that matter, and waive any and all claims which may otherwise have arisen from your exposure to same.
G. AGREEMENT TO PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE
By utilizing this service, all Jurors expressly agree that they will fully comply with CoPO's Privacy Policy, with these Terms of Service, and with all applicable laws, including the privacy laws of the State of California.
H. COMPLIANCE WITH LAW
Except to the extent necessary to utilize this modified format, CoPO Jurors shall be subject to and will comply with all laws that would apply to official Jurors who serve in the jurisdiction of their state of residence, and shall submit to the jurisdiction of, and will follow all lawful orders and instructions issued by, the judge/neutral presiding over any hearing on which the Juror is providing service.
I. VIOLATIONS
Any violation of these Terms of Service may, in addition to subjecting the Juror to possible civil and/or criminal actions and penalties, result in that person's exclusion from future involvement in CoPO proceedings, and/or their forfeiture of any compensation that may have otherwise been due in association with the matter in which the violation occurred.
J. SEVERABILITY
Should any of these Terms of Service be deemed invalid or inconsistent with the laws of the State of California, the remaining Terms of Service shall remain in full force and effect.
K. RESPECTFUL CONDUCT TOWARD CoPO STAFF
Jurors are expected to communicate with CoPO staff members respectfully and professionally. Any Juror who engages in inappropriate or abusive conduct toward staff may be removed from the system and may be precluded from future participation in CoPO proceedings.
VII. ALTERNATE JURY SERVICE
In addition to the number of Jurors the Parties want to hear their case, CoPO offers ALTERNATE JURORS for use in jury selection and/or as backup if a Juror set to serve is unable to do so.
Parties who want to choose their Jury Panel from a larger Jury Pool, or who want additional assurance of getting the number of Jurors they need, may opt for one or more "12-packs" of ALTERNATE JURORS.
Any Juror excused at least 7 days before the commencement of the hearing will be dismissed with the thanks of CoPO and the Parties, but without compensation. Any Jurors remaining in the Jury Pool after that will fill the Jury Panel in the same order in which they first requested the opportunity to serve. Any Jurors over the number the Parties specified will become ALTERNATE JURORS.
ALTERNATE JURORS must log in, complete the hearing check-in, and remain in the check-in room with the countdown timer until they are either seated on the Jury Panel or excused from the hearing. Simply logging into an account does not qualify an ALTERNATE JUROR for the $50 Alternate Fee.
ALTERNATE JURORS who complete check-in and remain in the check-in room until the countdown timer runs out will receive the $50 Alternate Fee if they are excused at that time.
ALTERNATE JURORS who fail to appear in the check-in room before the countdown expires, or who experience technical issues that prevent them from entering or remaining in the check-in room, will not receive the $50 Alternate Fee. CoPO is not responsible for technical failures on the Juror's end.
Service as an ALTERNATE JUROR is first-come, first-served. The earlier a Juror completes check-in, the greater the chance of being seated. ALTERNATE JURORS are not guaranteed a spot on the Panel.
If an ALTERNATE JUROR replaces a Juror on the Panel who cannot serve, the ALTERNATE JUROR will be paid at the regular Juror rate only and will not receive the $50 Alternate Fee.
