Rhode Islanders who’ve served on jury duty may have noticed the $15 a day pay rate. Central Falls Sen. Elizabeth Crowley hopes to change that.
Crowley introduced a bill that if passed would more than double juror pay to $35 a day. Her plan would call for a $10 increase in July 2018, and the final $10 increase would kick in by 2019.
Juror pay has remained flat since 1983, and Rhode Island doesn’t require employers to pay jurors for missed wages.
States like Connecticut pay jurors up to $50 a day if their employer doesn’t offer reimbursement for jury service. New Hampshire compensates jurors at $40 a day and jurors can even apply for parking and toll reimbursements. Massachusetts requires employers cover employees’ regular wages for the first three days of jury duty; the state then picks up the tab compensating jurors at $50 a day.
The Rhode Island Senate voted for a similar bill last year, but the increase didn’t get through the House.
