by Grace Deng, Washington State Standard
October 14, 2024
Residents of Pierce County who appear for jury duty will receive $100 a day and mileage reimbursements in an attempt to improve juror participation and diversity.
The pilot program, which began Monday, replaces the $10 typically paid to jurors in Pierce County. It will run through May 2025 and includes Pierce County District Court, Superior Court and Tacoma Municipal Court.
Jurors in Washington are paid $10 to $25 a day, depending on the county. That hasn’t changed since 1959. Pierce County’s jurors will be surveyed to measure demographic changes and whether increased pay reduced barriers to their participation.
“It’s a big win for the court system and it’s a big win for the public,” said Chris Gaddis, Pierce County Superior Court administrator.
Research suggests diverse juries make better decisions as they spend more time deliberating, discuss more facts about the case, make fewer factual errors and are more willing to discuss racial bias.
The Legislature first appropriated $1.56 million in the 2023 budget to increase pay up to $50 a day. That number was adjusted in the 2024 supplemental budget to $1.52 million to increase pay to $100 a day.
Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native people and those with lower incomes are underrepresented in Washington’s juries, according to a study conducted by the Minority and Justice Commission in partnership with Seattle University researchers.
Of all survey respondents, 64% indicated experiencing a conflict or hardship as an obstacle to jury service, and combined household income was a “significant indicator of a potential juror’s ability to participate in jury service,” according to a release from Washington State Courts.
The state will pay $90 of the $100 daily rate and the county will continue to pay the remaining $10. The Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission expects to present lawmakers with the findings of the pilot program along with “potential recommendations for a more permanent adjustment to juror pay” in 2026.
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