El Dorado County jurors to receive $100 per day in pilot program

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - California AB1981 is a pilot program that will pay a daily rate of $100 to jurists in some counties, and El Dorado County is one of the chosen areas. Starting September 1, 2024, residents called into jury duty in El Dorado County will receive $100 per day, starting on the second day of service. Before that, the fee was $15 per day.

The pilot will explore whether increases in juror compensation and mileage reimbursement rates increase juror diversity and participation.

In addition, the juror mileage reimbursement rate will increase from $0.34 to $0.67 per mile roundtrip.

“Jurors play a critical role in our justice system by ensuring everyone can take advantage of the fundamental right to a jury of their peers,” said California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. “Jurors help deliver that fundamental right and the promise of fair and equal access to justice for all Californians.”

“El Dorado County is excited to participate in this pilot program to help relieve some of the financial concerns our citizens face when called to serve on a jury," said El Dorado County Presiding Judge Vicki Ashworth. "We believe this increase will greatly improve participation in jury service thereby maintaining an individual’s constitutional right to a jury of his/her peers.”

Funding for the pilot program is provided for the following seven superior courts: Alameda, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Monterey, San Bernardino, and Shasta. The pilot will end by early 2026 or when the funding is exhausted, whichever comes first.

After the pilot, the Judicial Council will provide a report to the California State Legislature describing the findings of the pilot program and information for promoting juror diversity.

For general information on jury service, visit
https://www.eldorado.courts.ca.gov/divisions/jury or https://www.courts.ca.gov/juryservice.htm. FAQs can be found at https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/AB1981_Public_FAQ_Brochure_generic_print.pdf.

Additional statewide initiatives to improve the jury system in California can be found at https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/jurors-ensure-fundamental-right-be-judged-your-peers.