STATEHOUSE (Feb. 15, 2023) – The Indiana House of Representatives on Tuesday voted unanimously to advance State Rep. Michelle Davis' (R-Whiteland) bill that she said would increase jury-duty pay, which has remained unchanged for 25 years.
Hoosiers currently receive $40 per day while serving as a juror in a courtroom, which has been below the minimum wage since its last increase in 1997. Davis said her bill would award $80 per day for service and the amount would increase to $90 after six days of trial. It would also increase the jury appearance fee to $30 from $15, for each day the jury is in attendance until it is impaneled.
"Jury trials are a foundational piece of our criminal justice system in protecting the rights and liberties of our citizens," Davis said. "Our current compensation is far below the current $7.25 minimum wage, which is not sustainable for most Hoosiers. This is an important step toward ensuring jurors are better compensated and boost citizen participation."
According to Davis, courts around the state have struggled to get people to serve on juries, which has resulted in judges declaring mistrials.
Davis said House Bill 1466 would increase the jury fee collected from a defendant to $6 if they are found to have committed a crime, violated an infraction or violated an ordinance. Hoosiers who file tort and plenary action lawsuits would also be charged a $75 fee because they also use a jury. The revenues generated by these fees would be directed to jury pay.
According to the latest data from the National Center for State Courts, 28 states and the District of Columbia use a flat rate per diem fee, which ranges from $4 to $50 per day.
House Bill 1466 now heads to the Indiana Senate for further consideration. For more information, or to watch session and committees live, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland) represents House District 58,
which includes a portion of Johnson County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
