SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — Financial hardship is the most common reason why prospective jurors ask to be excused from jury service.
On Monday, the City and County of San Francisco will launch the Be The Jury pilot program in San Francisco Superior Court, which will compensate low-to-moderate-income jurors $100 a day.
“No one should be priced out of jury service. Our juries should reflect San Francisco’s economic and racial diversity, but low juror compensation prevents too many people from participating in jury service,” said San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros.
“The Constitution guarantees the right to a jury of your peers. When our juries aren’t as diverse as the general population, it leads to a serious equity issue in our criminal justice system,” said State Senator Scott Wiener.
The Be The Jury program was created with the goal of establishing juries that are more reflective of all San Francisco residents.
Be The Jury was authorized by Assembly Bill 1452, which was co-authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting and Senator Scott Wiener; and co-sponsored by San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros; District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and Public Defender Mano Raju.
Starting Monday, eligible participants may receive $100 a day for jury service in criminal trials.
Prospective jurors will receive information about Be The Jury along with their jury summons. They can call 3-1-1 or visit the Court’s website at bit.ly/BeTheJury to learn about the program.
Jurors are eligible if their household income is less than 80% of the Area Median Income ($74,600 for a single person; $106,550 for a household of four) and if they meet one of the following criteria: (1) their employer does not compensate for jury service; (2) their employer does not compensate for the estimated duration of jury service; (3) they are self-employed; or (4) they are unemployed.
“Be The Jury program will enhance justice for the accused and welcome more San Franciscans to participate in this powerful civic duty. I am thrilled that this pilot is up and running,” Raju said.
“Everyone deserves a fair trial, but the legal system is full of inequities. I’m excited to see whether higher pay for jury duty authorized under my legislation will improve our criminal justice system. Studies show when juries are diverse and reflective of the communities they serve, they tend to spend more time deliberating the case and are less likely to presume guilt,” Ting said.
“Be The Jury” pilot program is funded by philanthropic dollars raised by the San Francisco Treasurer’s Financial Justice Project.
