The D.C. Superior Court announced it has increased the compensation for residents who have been selected for jury duty.
The new compensation package started on Monday. Before the increase, jurors received $40 per day starting on their second day of service or if selected for a jury, along with a daily travel subsidy of $5.
The new rate is $50, in addition to a $7 travel subsidy. However, jurors that are compensated by their employer during jury duty only get the $7 travel subsidy.
Plus, jurors not selected for a trial on the first day of service will get the combined $57 fee. The increase is due to the court’s request for more funding for jury service in their annual request to the U.S. Congress to have Superior Court jury fees on the same level as U.S. District Court jurors.
D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring said serving on juries is an important civic duty.
“The court relies on eligible residents to serve jury duty, to do their civic duty, to ensure that the justice system works as intended by our Constitution,” Josey-Herring said. “The D.C. Court’s motto is, ’Open to All, Trusted by All, Justice to All.’ Without jurors doing their part, we could not do ours. Jurors play a vital role in ensuring that we are able to serve our neighbors in a fair and timely manner.”