AB 881: Juror fees: pilot program.

Existing law, the Trial Jury Selection and Management Act, requires all persons be selected for jury service at random, from a source or sources inclusive of a representative cross section of the population of the area served by the court. The act further requires a juror in a civil or criminal superior court case to be paid a fee of $15 a day for each days attendance as a juror after the first day, except as specified, plus reimbursement for mileage.

Existing law authorizes the Superior Court of San Francisco to conduct a pilot program until December 31, 2023, to analyze and determine whether paying certain low-income trial jurors $100 per day for each day they are required to report for service as a trial juror in a criminal case promotes a more economically and racially diverse trial jury panel that more accurately reflects the demographics of the community.

This bill would expand the above-described pilot program to include, upon appropriation for these purposes, the superior court in 4 additional counties selected by the Judicial Council that reflect urban and rural diversity. The bill would require the Judicial Council to administer funding for the pilot program court, and would authorize the Judicial Council to accept private or other funds for administration of the pilot program. The bill would authorize the Superior Court of San Francisco to operate the pilot program using local, state, or other funding regardless of whether an appropriation is made for this purpose. The bill would require the pilot program court to collect data self-reported by jurors who receive the increased fee and would require the Judicial Council to prepare an analysis and report of that data and conclusion about the pilot program. The bill would require the pilot program court to terminate the pilot program on or before December 31, 2025, or at any time it determines the increased financial reimbursement is causing prejudice to the rights of litigants or the interests of justice. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2027.