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Committee hears bill letting counties adopt $50-a-day juror pay after two unpaid days
Summary
Lawmakers heard testimony on House Bill 131, which would let county commissions adopt an alternative juror-pay schedule that withholds pay for the first two days and pays $50 a day thereafter; supporters said it helps secure jurors for multiweek trials and has been piloted in Greene County.
A House Judiciary Committee hearing on House Bill 131 focused on a proposal to let Missouri county commissions adopt an alternative juror-pay system that withholds pay for the first two days of service and pays $50 per day thereafter.
The bill would allow each county to choose whether to use the alternative schedule rather than require it statewide. Supporters told the committee the change is intended to make it financially feasible for jurors to serve through multiweek trials and to save counties money overall.
Why it matters: Committee witnesses said long trials — including employment and discrimination cases that can last a week or longer — make it difficult for jurors to serve when daily juror pay is low. Supporters said the Greene County pilot, which uses the proposed approach, reduced turnover and helped courts complete longer trials.
Representative Veidt presented the bill to the committee and said the proposal "allows for the county commission to adopt an alternative method of paying jurors," noting the Greene County experience. Eric Jennings, Government Relations Counsel at the Supreme Court testifying for the Judicial Conference of Missouri, told the committee, "we simply took the existing amount, with which Greene County has operated, for the better over 10 years at this point, and simply wanted to make that narrow option that's currently available, available statewide." John Beatum, a retired circuit judge from Cole County, described the financial burden jurors face and said "for somebody who's working regularly, dollars 50 a day is not a lot of money, but there's a next segment of that population" who would benefit.
Committee discussion included a technical question from Ranking Minority Member Smith about whether the bill should specify the $50 figure or provide a broader delegation so counties could set a different amount. Jennings said the Judicial Conference could discuss a range with lawmakers, noting the draft mirrors the Greene County practice.
Supporters also included the Missouri Bar, which went on record in favor. No formal vote was recorded during the hearing.
The hearing closed with committee staff noting the bill is a voluntary option for counties and that any change would be implemented locally if a county chooses to adopt it.
