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dkf295 t1_ja8k3qw wrote

Because everyone else would skip out on it too - it's a hassle, and you might be tied up for only a day or two or maybe weeks if it's a more complicated trial.

If you only get jurors that have the means and desire to take days or weeks off from their lives, you're likely going to have a demographic that isn't very representative of the overall population, defeating the point of the whole "jury of your peers" thing.

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sc1003 t1_ja99zvb wrote

>If you only get jurors that have the means and desire to take days or weeks off from their lives, you're likely going to have a demographic that isn't very representative of the overall population

You would basically get the same people as those who sit on HOAs. You know, all those well-adjusted, empathetic, reasonable citizens...

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artgriego t1_ja92lpy wrote

It's not "taking days or weeks off" from life. You said it yourself, it's a pain in the ass with laughable compensation (that is taxed!) No one has the "means or desire" to miss their regular life for that.

They need to make jury duty worth everyone's time. The way it is, clever but unscrupulous people will finagle out of jury duty because it pays shit and their jobs don't have to pay them for the lost time.

So if they want a demographic of the overall population, they need to entice everyone to actually want to do it. Make the process more efficient, require employers to pay regular wages, etc.

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mdlewis11 t1_ja97r90 wrote

In some states, your employer must pay you full time for you time on jury duty.
I love playing Matlock and getting paid for it!

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thedoodely t1_ja99nh6 wrote

Yup, in most places that's what they do (though it's usuappy minus the laughable amount the govt pays you to be a juror. Were I am it's like 5$/day)

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DoItYourSelf2 t1_ja9g4oq wrote

I was just called up in CA and found out they changed the rules (or could be my county). Used to be it was an automatic pass if employer did not pay but now you have to go in front of a judge and plead your case or plead poverty I suppose. Its complete bullshit, no one should lose money for serving. They should just force all large employers to pay and subsidize the smaller ones.

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jerwong t1_ja9en71 wrote

I'm in California, and we only get $15/day and that's starting on the second day.

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MurkDiesel t1_ja9ddem wrote

lawyers get rich, jurors get shit

change that and we change the justice system

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Dragon_Fisting t1_ja9v14u wrote

Fun fact, the government lawyers don't make that much money. The government doesn't pay that well for anybody.

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MurkDiesel t1_ja9ds4d wrote

>If you only get jurors that have the means and desire to take days or weeks off from their lives, you're likely going to have a demographic that isn't very representative of the overall population,

and on the flip side, you have stressed out and annoyed people trying to judge a WWE episode they don't want to watch

it's a pretty fucked up system

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sooooooofarty t1_ja9y1es wrote

At least you get paid to be a juror. You can buy a sodie on the way home

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