A bill to allow California jurors to be reimbursed for using public transportation was signed into law Sept. 15 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The law, authored by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose), allows for reimbursement for up to $12 per day for those who take public transportation, according to a statement from Lee and the text of the new law.
“The right to a trial by jury applies to both criminal and civil cases, but jury trials can’t be held unless people are able to perform their civic duties,” Lee said in a statement. “By expanding reimbursement options for taking transit and increasing juror pay, we can have juries that are more reflective of our communities leading to better outcomes and better experiences for the jurors.”
Currently, only drivers are reimbursed for travel, at a rate of 34 cents per mile, one-way.
The law, AB 1981, also established a two-year pilot program to study if increasing juror compensation would increase the diversity of jurors who serve.
California pays jurors $15 per day to serve, starting on the second day, according to Lee. The study will help determine if raising the amount increases the likelihood of people serving. The daily compensation for serving on a federal jury is $50, and $60 after 10 days.
Wish this was done sooner.
When I served on a jury, they paid me the mileage from my address to the court address. They never asked me how I got there. So I can’t see how it only applies to drivers.
Exactly, if jurors can’t figure out how to get reimbursed they probably got no business being on a jury. This bill certainly wasn’t needed, Newscum is in a signing frenzy right now altho he is against prop 30 which surprised me.
How about at least the minimum wage for all hours served. And travel time there and back at the fed rate per mile. And in the form of a check when you leave for the day instead a “reimbursement” that most people won’t remember to do. Also, parking should still be free for jurors.
Agree!
Now that Walnut Creek Court is traffic only with short hours… residents have to suffer and travel to unsafe Richmond, etc. for Jury duty
Martinez is far and bad enough.
The DMV leaving WC is not right either, but they were a total failure.
I think that I have been black-listed. I haven’t been summoned in nearly 2 decades. My employer pays time off for juror duty. Willing and able here.
.. omg tha’s the best he can do? anything to stay in the headlines…. glad I didn’t vote for the guy… his in-laws even moved to Florida – you don’t hear about that do we?