RESPONSES
What does “juror compensation and perks”
refer to?
“Juror
compensation and perks” refers to the act of reimbursing jurors for
the time and effort that they spend while serving.
It can come in the form of monetary payment, vouchers for food or
parking, childcare, mileage reimbursement, and others.
The range of this compensation varies from state to state and
courtroom to courtroom, with many different levels and methods of
compensation across the country.
Traditionally,
jurors have been compensation using a flat daily rate, ranging from $5
to $40 per day, plus mileage in some jurisdictions.
However, in recognition of the relationship between the financial
hardship of serving on a jury, the fees paid to jurors, and the length
of jury service, jurors in many one-day/one-trial courts are not paid on
the first day, but are paid if they are selected for a trial that
requires them to return for a second day (or more days).
Other courts pay a nominal fee to jurors for their first day of
service and a higher rate for successive days.
Unemployed persons, including those retired or those at home, are
reimbursed for actual expenses including child care if applicable.
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What is the purpose of compensating
jurors?
The purpose of
compensating jurors is to offset the costs incurred by serving as a
juror, either in lost time or wages, or simply to offset the money
jurors must spend in order to serve (such as on meals, gas, parking,
etc.). The goal is to make
jury service easier and less burdensome for jurors.
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What are some possible procedures for
compensating jurors?
In new systems that
are not simply using a flat fee, the state adopts a fee structure that
bases the amount paid to jurors on their length of jury service,
employer, and employment status. State
law may require employers to continue to compensate employees called for
jury service for a certain number of days.
In certain states,
employers are required by statute to pay employees who are summoned for
jury service. In some
states, this requirement is subject to the size of the employer (e.g.,
number of employees) or number of days of jury service.
In addition, some states require the employer to make up the
difference between the jury fee and the employee’s regular salary or
wages. Other courts, such as
the
Dallas
County
(
Texas
) District Court, have
established systems that permit jurors to donate their juror fees to
charity.
Most courts pay
jurors with a check, though some have turned to new methods.
The
District of Columbia
, for example, has
special ATMs that dispense the juror fee in cash to jurors after they
enter their personal juror information and have verified their service
for the day.
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What are some
additional perks that some courts offer jurors in addition to monetary
compensation?
Courts in many
jurisdictions have begun offering other perks to jurors to offset the
inconvenience of jury service. Many
offer free parking for jurors. Some
courts, such as the
District of Columbia
, offer free daycare to
jurors if they have children that need to be looked after during their
term of service. Other
reimbursement, such as discounts at local restaurants or free internet
access at the courthouse, has been arranged by other courts in varying
locales.
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What are the advantages of the new forms
of juror compensation?
Some advantages of
juror compensation that is not simply a flat daily rate include:
·
More
equitable systems of juror compensation decrease the need to grant
exemptions or excuses based on financial hardship, thus improving the
representative nature of the panels from which juries are selected;
·
More
equitable systems for juror compensation recognize the value of
jurors’ service, thus increasing juror satisfaction; and
·
The
increased costs associated with implementing more equitable juror
compensation systems encourage courts to use jury pools more
efficiently.
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What are the disadvantages of the new
forms of juror compensation?
Some disadvantages
of juror compensation that is not simply a flat daily rate include:
·
More
equitable juror compensation systems are more costly to state and county
governments; and
·
State
statutes that require employers to continue to compensate employees who
are summoned for jury service shift the cost of jury service to private
employers.
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