Juries

Jury Rates May Go From $30 to $100 in Virginia

Legislation that would raise jury pay from $30 to $100 a day has cleared the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee on a 13-0 vote.  Next stop is the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.   The bill was originally introduced by Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack.  If the legislation is enacted into law, many believe it will cost the state approximately $5 million.  Determining the actual cost was somewhat challenging because in 2020 Virginia changed how it sentences criminal defendants.  Defendants are no longer required to have jurors sentence them after conviction but are instead given the choice of judge or jury.  At present, Kentucky is the only state that requires criminal defendants to be sentenced by jurors.  Many believe that this change may lead more Virginia defendants to opt for jury trials because jurors had traditionally imposed harsher sentences on defendants.

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Lawsuit Claims Low Juror Pay Leads to Less Diverse Jury Pool

Here is a news article talking about a class action lawsuit challenging juror pay.  According to the article,

King County pays the minimum -- $10 per day -- a figure that hasn't changed since 1959, when $10 had the modern-day buying power of $82.56.

Compare that to a minimum-wage worker in Seattle making $104 in an eight-hour day or $75.76 statewide, according to the state Labor and Industries department.

That, according to the complaint, eliminates potential jurors who aren't paid by their employers for jury leave, disproportionately affecting lower-income residents and people of color. Those people often seek economic hardship exemptions when they receive a jury summons.

Komonews.com: Lawsuit: Low juror pay means more white, upper-income juries in ...

 

Minnesota to Increase Juror Pay

Minnesota Public Radio: Juror pay to double starting next week

Unfortunately, this only means that jurors will now get $20 a day plus 54 cents per mile to the courthouse.  On the bright side, Minnesota also reimburses jurors up to $50 a day for childcare expenses.