Including jury voir dire, each side will be allowed five hours to present its case, including opening statements and closing arguments, unless the court, upon a finding of good cause, allows additional time. The amount of time allotted for each side includes the time that the side spends on cross-examination. The parties are encouraged to streamline the trial process by limiting the number of live witnesses. The goal is to complete an expedited jury trial within two trial days.
Rule 3.1550.Time limits
Division 15. Trial · Chapter 4.5. Expedited Jury Trials · Article 4. Rules Applicable to All Expedited Jury Trials · Last amended 2016 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.1550 gives each side five hours total to present its entire case in an expedited jury trial, covering voir dire, opening statements, cross-examination, and closing arguments, extendable only for good cause, with a goal of finishing the whole trial within two trial days.
Full Text of Rule 3.1550
Plain-English Summary
The defining feature of an expedited jury trial is speed, and Rule 3.1550 is where that speed becomes a hard number. Each side gets five hours, and that clock covers everything the side does in front of the jury — voir dire, the opening statement, direct and cross-examination of every witness, and the closing argument. A court can grant more time, but only on a finding of good cause, which keeps the five-hour figure the real default rather than a starting point everyone expects to exceed.
The rule also nudges the parties toward efficient choices within that budget. It encourages limiting the number of live witnesses, since each one called to the stand eats into the same five hours available for everything else. The stated aim behind all of it is completing the entire expedited jury trial within two trial days — a target that only works if both sides plan their five hours carefully rather than treating the case as a smaller version of a full trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time does each side get in a California expedited jury trial?
Five hours total, covering voir dire, opening statements, cross-examination, and closing arguments, under Rule 3.1550.
Can a court extend the five-hour time limit in an expedited jury trial?
Yes, but only on a finding of good cause. Absent that finding, five hours per side is the limit.
How long is an expedited jury trial supposed to take?
Rule 3.1550 states the goal of completing the trial within two trial days, which is why the rule caps and allocates time so tightly.
Amendment History
Rule 3.1550 amended effective July 1, 2016; adopted effective January 1, 2011.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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