Can you afford to be on a jury for $10 a day? Not everyone can

Low pay for jurors has been an issue in Washington state for decades. But legislation under consideration in Olympia would finally increase pay for jurors, especially those with low incomes, and consider ways to cover child care costs while jurors are serving.

In King County District Court, and in many courthouses across Washington, jurors are paid $10 a day.

King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Galván said this low pay hasn’t changed in decades and it limits who can serve on a jury. She supports a long-overdue pay raise as a way to make juries more inclusive and diverse.

“Diversity in a jury is so important because the more perspective — the more lenses we have perhaps — it shines light on the issues,” Galván said.

Galván co-chairs the state court’s Minority and Justice Commission, which looks for ways to address disparities in the justice system.

One proposal in the Legislature would give a bigger paycheck to certain jurors who are low income — increasing their juror pay to $125 a day provided their employer does not pay their regular wages during their jury duty absence. Potential jurors who qualify for state benefit programs — including SNAP, WIC, and TANF — would be eligible for this higher pay.

The legislation would also require courts to collect and analyze anonymous data about jurors' race, education, and income status, among other things.

It also calls for a task force to understand child care needs, and potentially provide options for parents down the road.

Sen. Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley) was a dissenting vote in a Law and Justice Committee meeting, voting to not recommend the bill's passage in its current state, although he said he supports increased juror pay.

“I think a lot of people are held back because of pay and some other issues,” Padden said during a committee hearing on Jan. 12.

Padden suggested that the state should rely on nonprofits and grants to foot the bill in instances where a juror would require child care assistance.