Can you be paid by your employer for jury duty?
Anyone who is a law-abiding citizen of the United States must answer a summons to jury duty. But will you get any compensation for the time you put in? There are still bills to pay, a job to do, and food to buy while you do your jury duty. These are the payment requirements set forth by the California legal system:
You can serve on a jury in California if you meet the following criteria:
- You must be a citizen of the United States
- Must be 18 or older
- Competent enough in English to engage in case-related discourse
- An individual residing inside the jurisdiction that issued the summons
- Has not been on a jury panel in the last twelve months
- Does not currently serve on a jury that is hearing a grand or trial case
- In no way subject to a conservatorship
- Not currently imprisoned or in jail
- Not on probation or on parole for a felony
- Not on the sex offender registry
- Found guilty of a crime while in public office and civil rights have not yet been restored
Is it the responsibility of California employers to pay employees while they are serving on a jury?
In accordance with the website of the California Courts, it is not required by law for companies to compensate their employees while they serve on juries. Nonetheless, some companies do offer paid time off for employees to serve on juries.
No employer in California may dismiss an employee who is required to serve on a jury but is unable to work due to the summons unless the business opts to pay the employee during jury duty.
Will I get paid by California instead?
The website of the California Courts states that, in the event that jurors are not paid by their employers, the state will pay them $15 daily beginning on the second day of service. While serving on a jury, employees of government agencies get full salary and benefits from their respective workplaces.
Jurors are eligible to get a minimum of 34 cents per mile for their travel expenses to and from court beginning on the second day, according to the website. Starting on day one, jurors might get up to $12 from the courts if they use public transportation. There are programs in place at some municipal courts that pay jurors the amount it costs to use public transportation. According to the website of the California Courts, there are other programs that offer free bus or rail transportation to jurors.
In California, what is the typical length of time a juror must serve?
In accordance with Rule 2.1002 of the California Rules of Court, the Superior Court employs the One Day or One Trial Jury Service program:
- A person can complete their jury duty through this program if they have participated in one trial until dismissed.
- Participated in the jury selection process as assigned and remained so until the jury commissioner excused them.
- Participated in court proceedings, but did not receive assignment to the trial department at day’s conclusion.
- Responded to court summonses for one to five days. The amount of time a jury takes to deliberate is directly related to the duration of a trial, as stated on the website of the Superior Court of California.
It is imperative that jurors schedule their whole day around the court’s operating hours, which begin at 8 a.m. until 5 in the afternoon.
According to the Superior Court of California’s website, most cases span 3-7 days, but others may last longer. Although every case is unique, the website claims that the judge will have a good idea of how long the trial should be. According to the website, judges are cognizant of the fact that lengthy trials can be challenging. If you are facing significant difficulties that would make serving a lengthy trial difficult, be sure to inform the judge.
