What does your state pay for Jury duty?

[luvavacation]

Just received my first ever summons for Jury Duty. DH did Jury Duty when we were dating, and that was long ago, so I don't remember what he was paid then, but the paper I have says that I would be paid $10 per day.

Is this the norm? So if my DH were called, with his company not reimbursing for jury duty, that would be one tiny weekly paycheck!

I would not mind serving on a jury, in fact I think it might be very interesting, but I figure I have two counts against me. First, I am the sole caregiver for my mom, who has Alzheimer's and lives with me, and second, I am not an American Citizen. I do have a Green Card, and legal resident alien status, but have remained a citizen of my birth country for many reasons. Didn't think I would ever get called due to being a "foreigner", but I suppose things have changed!

Still surprised over the tiny stipend, though. Or is the state of IL being generous, and most states pay nothing?

 

[bethbuchall]

I was going to type it out, but it's easier to copy and paste. This is for NYS:

"Pursuant to law, the state will pay jurors a fee of $40 for each day of physical attendance with the following Exceptions:

Exception #1: Jurors who are employed CANNOT be paid a jury fee for any day(s) on which they receive regular wages unless their regular wage is less than $40. In that case, the state will pay the difference between the jurors' wage and the $40 fee.

Exception #2: Jurors who work for an employer with more than 10 employees MUST be paid, by their employer, at least $40 or their regular daily wages-whichever is less-for each of the first three days* of service. If a juror's daily wage is less than $40, the state will pay the difference between the juror's wage and the $40 fee for the first three days of service.

*Note: The obligation of the employer to pay only applies if the juror is serving on jury duty on a regular scheduled work day. If not, the state pays the daily fee of $40.

In rare instances, when service extends for more than 30 days, the court may authorize an additional allowance of $6 per day to be paid to a juror.

A juror may waive his or her right to the per diem allowance, in which case the allowance will go into a special account that is used to improve juror facilities."

 

[Praying Colonel]

Just received my first ever summons for Jury Duty. DH did Jury Duty when we were dating, and that was long ago, so I don't remember what he was paid then, but the paper I have says that I would be paid $10 per day.

Is this the norm? So if my DH were called, with his company not reimbursing for jury duty, that would be one tiny weekly paycheck!

I would not mind serving on a jury, in fact I think it might be very interesting, but I figure I have two counts against me. First, I am the sole caregiver for my mom, who has Alzheimer's and lives with me, and second, I am not an American Citizen. I do have a Green Card, and legal resident alien status, but have remained a citizen of my birth country for many reasons. Didn't think I would ever get called due to being a "foreigner", but I suppose things have changed!

Still surprised over the tiny stipend, though. Or is the state of IL being generous, and most states pay nothing?

A whole $12.50 per day! /sarcasm

BTW, here's a link to a page with jury duty fees by state:

http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/trial_jury.htm

 

[SC Minnie]

SC is $10/day plus mileage. I served a couple of years ago and was seated on 2 cases. It was very interesting to me.

Call your clerk of court office concerning the other issues.

 

[FINFAN]

it was $15 a day last time I was chosen...thankfully the case was decided in 1 day.

 

[hambirg]

We get $10/day here plus parking.

 

[onelilspark]

I was going to type it out, but it's easier to copy and paste. This is for NYS:

"Pursuant to law, the state will pay jurors a fee of $40 for each day of physical attendance with the following Exceptions:

Exception #1: Jurors who are employed CANNOT be paid a jury fee for any day(s) on which they receive regular wages unless their regular wage is less than $40. In that case, the state will pay the difference between the jurors' wage and the $40 fee.

Exception #2: Jurors who work for an employer with more than 10 employees MUST be paid, by their employer, at least $40 or their regular daily wages-whichever is less-for each of the first three days* of service. If a juror's daily wage is less than $40, the state will pay the difference between the juror's wage and the $40 fee for the first three days of service.

*Note: The obligation of the employer to pay only applies if the juror is serving on jury duty on a regular scheduled work day. If not, the state pays the daily fee of $40.

In rare instances, when service extends for more than 30 days, the court may authorize an additional allowance of $6 per day to be paid to a juror.

A juror may waive his or her right to the per diem allowance, in which case the allowance will go into a special account that is used to improve juror facilities."

Yep. My fiance was just called for Jury Duty 2 weeks ago. He doesn't work on Fridays during the summer, so he was hoping they'd call him in on Friday so that he'd earn an extra $40 that week Turns out his number wasn't required to report the whole 5 days he was "on call" for jury duty.

 

[Andtototoo]

$25 per day plus parking.

When I sat, several people tried to get out of it by claiming financial hardship. The judge refused to even look at their documentation and no exemptions were granted. (You also could not get exemptions for not having child care or back up care if you were taking care of an elderly parent, etc.)

Unfortunately one of those people was on a jury I sat on and he had a terrible attitude because he was so deeply resentful of the loss of money. He paid no attention in court and just wanted to get the deliberations over with so he could get back to work asap. He also fell asleep in court on two days because he was able to pick up night shifts at the factory.

I understand that they want a wide diversity of people on juries, but I'm not sure having resentful rushing jurors is in anyone's best interests either.

 

[Coconut36]

DH was a juror for about a week a couple years back and as far as I know it is the same amount. It was $12 a day (if you got your pass validated parking was free).

 

[Gina]

$25 per day plus parking.

When I sat, several people tried to get out of it by claiming financial hardship. The judge refused to even look at their documentation and no exemptions were granted. (You also could not get exemptions for not having child care or back up care if you were taking care of an elderly parent, etc.)

Unfortunately one of those people was on a jury I sat on and he had a terrible attitude because he was so deeply resentful of the loss of money. He paid no attention in court and just wanted to get the deliberations over with so he could get back to work asap. He also fell asleep in court on two days because he was able to pick up night shifts at the factory.

I understand that they want a wide diversity of people on juries, but I'm not sure having resentful rushing jurors is in anyone's best interests either.

I agree with this completely. I think doing your civic duty is extremely important in our democratic society, but they make it such an incredible hardship for so many people, it makes a lot of folks resent the whole system. I am so thankful that the job I am at now actually pays for jury duty, but it's the first job in my whole life where that has been the case. For a lot if not most people, missing even a day of work is hard enough financially -- missing a whole week could cause serious problems. As a single parent myself, days without pay have a definite impact.

I don't see why they can't just make it law that employers must still pay the employee who gets called to jury duty. It's not like the employee has a choice, and it would erase the resentment that comes from being stressed out from being made to miss work without pay. I think it *does* create rushed, distracted jurors, concerned more with how the bills are going to get paid than with the outcome of the case (and rightfully so.)

 

[elwise1966]

I think CA is $10 or $15 per day.
And while I would be happy to serve on a jury, my company does not pay me while I'm on Jury Duty so I always have to claim a financial hardship and be exempted from duty.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I served in Maryland in June and it was $20 per day. I work per diem so was unable to work that week because of not knowing if I was available. I only had to report one day.

 

[mickeyboat]

DH just had jury duty and was paid $30 per day. Since he is self-employed, no one is there to pay him if he is on jury duty and jobs get behind. There are some jobs that can't wait, too!

Anyway he ended up serving one day and was excused from the first jury. Then his jury pool was not asked to report again before it was excused. That is what happened when I had jury duty ion 2006, too!

 

[cassiez76]

in new orleans, for criminal jury duty, you get free parking.

if you get picked to be on a jury, it's $10 a day, plus a $$$ lunch.

if you don't get picked, you get no money.

for criminal court jury duty here, you have to serve 2 days a week for a month.

i locked up 3 criminals for life in march.

 

[KatieCollette]

In Wisconsin it is $12 bucks an hour

 

[PrincessKsMom]

$5 per day in NJ for first 3 days, no parking, no travel reimbursement. What a joke.

 

[tvguy]

If you are not a U.S. Citizen, your are exempt from jury duty.

I was on jury duty 3 weeks ago.
Here, private sector workers get nothing for the first day, and $15 a day for day 2 on. Public sector workers get nothing since all public agencies pay their workers they full pay when on jury duty. Judges around here have been known to call companies that don't pay workers for jury duty to do a little arm twisting, but just as many expect working people to have enough savings to cover their jury duty.

You get mileage for every day you serve, including day one, or a free bus pass.

 

[manning]

Become a US citizen and have dual citizenship. It is allowed here. There is only one downside. Say you decide to move back to your home country and you decide not to return. If you get a job there you will have to pay US income taxes on your wages because you are a a US citizen. If that happened just denounce citizenship and/or just don't let the US know you are working (don't file a return). My wife has a relative who went back years ago and never paid taxes and the IRS never asked.

http://www.newcitizen.us/dual.html

 

[Robinrs]

It's $15 a day in Georgia. I was called one time in the entire 55 years I've been on this earth.

 

[aprilgail2]

$5 per day in NJ for first 3 days, no parking, no travel reimbursement. What a joke.

That wouldn't even cover lunch!

I have not gone in so long I don't know what it pays. My job pays us 100% of our salary to go. Years ago we used to get to keep what the court paid us PLUS our pay...but now we have to give up the money from the court.