Indianapolis, Indiana – A bill advancing through the General Assembly would double the compensation paid to Indiana residents who serve on juries.
Tuesday, House Bill 1466 was approved by the entire Indiana House of Representatives. Earlier, the committee had unanimously approved the bill.
The proposal would increase jury service pay for the first five days of a trial from $40 to $80 per day. The price would rise to $90 each day on the sixth day of a trial.
The bill was created by state representative Michelle Davis, a Republican from Whiteland, and is currently being considered by the Senate. For more than 20 years, the state has not raised the jury duty compensation.
“Our current compensation is far below the current $7.25 minimum wage, which is not sustainable for most Hoosiers,” Davis said in a statement. “This is an important step toward ensuring jurors are better compensated and boost citizen participation.”
The proposal would raise the jury appearance cost from $15 to $30 per day a prospective juror appears in court up until the jury is chosen. According to Davis, courts across the state have had difficulty filling juries, endangering cases and leading to mistrials.
The proposed legislation would raise the juror cost from $2 to $6 that is charged to a defendant who has committed crimes or certain breaches. Additionally, there would be a $75 jury cost for civil tort and plenary action proceedings, which Indiana residents would have to pay. The funds raised would be used for juror compensation.
