Riverside Presley Hall Of Justice

Definitely a beautiful court building. So let’s see what Mr. JD has to do in the IE.
This is the man criminal courthouse in Riverside, for the civil building head next door. Parking is mostly metered and it can get pricey also space is limited so come here early. Jury duty is on the 2^nd floor and all of the clerk office is on the first floor.
I spend everyday going to all of the courts in LA, OC, and IE. I handle DUis, driver license suspensions, drug possession and traffic matters in numerous courts ranging from Torrance, to Joshua Tree, to Newport and all the way up to Lancaster. I have seen them all. If you or someone you know needs legal assistance in any of the above matters, let me help you receive the representation you deserve!
Call– (424) 248‑9150 for a free consultation!

Just reported for civic duty for the first time. It was a confusing, slightly shameful day since I had no idea half the time what was happening. But for other jury duty noobs, basically here’s how it goes in 3 easy steps:
1) Get through security to get into the building. See that long line of people trailing out the door at 8am, slowly being circled by Jehovah Witnesses advocates. Don’t wait in that line because it takes 30 – 45 minutes to get in the door. There is a special VIP entrance for Jurors on the opposite side of the building where there are steps (…that I wished I had known about earlier.)
2) Go to the second floor and walk into a «Jury Lounge». and wait with a bunch of strangers for your name to be called. Wait and wait and wait and wait as they go through orientation and role-​calling… Amble into the other Jury Lounge to the vending machines and buy some Puffy Cheetos. There’s also a questionable $ 1 coffee machine and even more questionable Hot-​Pocket ripoff food. (Fed lady said we should let her know if the food was stale and we would be refunded as long as we didn’t stab her. Hm.) The second lounge also has a plethora of magazines and 1000-​piece puzzles to help pass the time. Yup, 1000. These government people know what’s up.
3) Wait and wait and wait until they assign you to some panel and tell you to report upstairs to the Judge where they begin to question potential candidates in order to select their final twelve angry men (or women) to sit for a future case.
…I got excused so I am not sure what happens after Step 3. ^^;;
Anyways, total time for this whole selection process: 7 – 8 hours.
Why the four stars?
–The employees are surprisingly upbeat and funny. The lady running the show is one sassy hostess.
–There was a judge who gave some kind of welcoming speech (definitely made everyone feel special). But then the speech turned into this random history bit about the court house. Apparently Frank Sinatra was married there AND the killer of the gruesome Wineville (now Mira Loma) Chicken Coop murders was convicted there. In hindsight, it was a pretty fascinating, educational speech.
–1000-​piece puzzles. That’s just thoughtful, right?
–Mission Inn and the Mission Galleria (antique shop heaven) are only a few blocks away for perusing purposes during long breaks
–Parking attendant guy could have charged me $ 8 because I didn’t request some red placard when I first parked. Instead, he just lectured me on the importance of reading the fine print on my jury summons. Your begrudging, almost fatherly kindness will not be forgotten, parking attendant man! (Tip: Request red placard thingy when you park in the structure on 12^th St.)
One star off for the mind-​numbing, excruciating wait and because all the seniors got to the computers first to play solitaire. Curses.

Given the circumstances, they do their best. How would you like to go to work and see a bunch of people who think of you as an inconvenience in their life? Yea, I give them props. The security line could go a little faster though. I thought LAX was slow… Sheesh! Enter the parking structure on 12^th street and exit that way too. They will give you free parking as a juror.

«I love jury duty» said no one ever!
Nobody likes it here. Not even the employees

Jury duty called. They get me every 2 years or so. But this time, I was retired, so I did not have that giddy feeling of getting off work and not using a «sick» day. Takes all the fun out of it.
Presley Hall was built some time ago, but is one of the more modern buildings in the downtown area. It stands next to the historic Superior Court building, with grand Roman pillars and lots of turn of the century ornamentation. Presley Hall has small court rooms as well as the two-​room jury room.
The jury room is on the second floor. It is huge, with plenty of seating, and is oftentimes filled to the gills in the morning. Until you get assigned to a panel and trot to your courtroom with the other 85 people called, there is a chance you may have to stand if you get there too late. They have free coffee, and a few free computers (no internet, just games), books, games, puzzles, to help pass the day. It can get pretty bo-​ring…
except for that reeeeeealy exciting video they force you to watch, about doing your civic duty, how not to screw up in the court room, and other good stuff that may give you ideas on how to get out of jury duty. Like wearing a tie that was tied to look like a hangman’s noose.
A good place to park is the multi-​leveled parking structure (with elevators) that fills the next block over. You get complimentary parking the whole day. Just show them your summons. You can come and go as long as you have your jury pass.
Good advice: If you get called for jury duty, and you are a newbie, don’t bring scissors or knives, corkscrews, pruning shears, or anything else that can be misconstrued as a weapon. You are scanned at the door. I forgot all the senseless stuff I carry in my purse, and ended up hiking back to my car to unload all my weaponry. Well, at least the guard did not cuff me.
Assume that you will be there the whole day. Bring a lunch, or, there are lots of little lunch places in the area. You can walk to them, and would probably want to, because Riverside has hungry parking meters everywhere.
So, have a good day. And set a good example of the mindful, attentive juror you hope others will be on your murder trial.