September 3, 2004 |
2004-R-0524 | |
JURORS-FEES AND TRAVEL ALLOWANCE | ||
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By: Susan Price, Principal Analyst | ||
You asked (1) how much jurors are paid for serving and travel, (2) when rates were last changed, (3) how much it costs the state annually and (4) how much it would cost to increase rates. We have forwarded the last question to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, who will respond in a separate report.
Unless excused by the court, employers must pay full time employees their regular wages for the first five days of jury service. The state reimburses all other jurors between $ 20 and $ 50 for necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred during their first five days of service. Reimbursable expenses are:
1. mileage (20 cents per mile roundtrip),
2. parking (actual fee paid excluding any fines),
3. child care (actual amount paid for care of children living in same household), and
4. family care (actual amount paid for care of family member living in same household and requiring constant supervision).
The state pays all jurors a flat rate of $ 50 per day for the sixth and any subsequent days they serve. The current rates and mileage reimbursement levels were set by the legislature in 1987 (PA 87-385).
Table 1 shows the state’s expenditures to jurors for court year 2003, the most recent year for which this information is available.
Table 1: Payments to Jurors
October 1, 2003-September 30, 20041
Expenditures for jurors serving more than 5 days |
$ 441,550 |
Out of pocket reimbursements |
455,503 |
Payment to jurors when employer’s obligation waived |
38,090 |
TOTAL |
$ 935, 143 |
Source: Connecticut Jury Administrator, 8/16/2004
SP: ts
1 Rounded to nearest dollar