justice

However people may view jury duty — an honor, an important obligation, an inconvenience or perhaps some of all — Oregon doesn’t do enough to make it less of an inconvenience financially.

Some employers do offer regular pay when an employee has jury duty. That is not legally required.

And do you know how much the state pays for a full day of jury duty?

For the first two days in circuit court, it is $10 a day. For subsequent days, it is $25 a day. If a person has to serve only an hour, it’s not even minimum wage. Mileage reimbursement is similarly bad. Compensating people so little could mean it excludes people from being jurors.

The Oregon Judicial Department is asking the Legislature to consider paying jurors more. Do you think $10 a day or $25 a day is enough? How much would be enough?

Let your legislators know.