URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - Judge Ben Dyer is asking the Champaign County Board to increase the daily pay for jurors from $10 to $40 for trials running longer than three weeks.
Champaign County Board Chair Kyle Patterson explained why he thinks the change is important.
TOP STORIES:
- Substance exposure at Graham Correctional leads to 18 COs in hospital, possible inmate injury
- Pritzker responds to Sheriff's rejection of assault weapons ban legislation
- Five inmates escape from St. Francois County Jail in Farmington, Missouri
- Federally endangered animal caught after being found in Bloomington garage
- New sports bar and grill coming to Decatur this spring
“I think it’s a big deal because lots of people have to do jury duty and I think a lot of people don’t realize that in this county it’s only $10 a day which comes out to $50 a week if you have a trial that long and that’s just not fair compensation for the service they’re providing,” said Patterson.
Since 1965 jurors have been paid $10 per day and Judge Dyer believes they should receive compensation for those in trials running longer than usual.
Patterson said the change won't be a huge cost for Champaign County.
“I haven’t heard much feedback from other board members other than support. So, I think that this is something that should go by pretty smoothly. We’re talking about trials that are over three weeks. We don’t have a lot of those usually, it’s the more complex civil trials that are that length so really even from an economic standpoint it’s not going to be a huge cost for the county,” stated Patterson.
Dyer is set to ask the Champaign County Board to increase payment on Thursday.
Copyright 2023. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved.
