ROCKFORD — It's been six months since a state law took effect that required county governments to better compensate jurors. Already, budget makers are feeling a pinch.
Effective June 1, Illinois law required jurors be paid $25 for their first day of duty and $50 for each additional day. The previous per-day compensation was $13. As a result, the cost of holding jury trials has risen sharply in Winnebago and Boone counties.
From June 1 to Dec. 31 last year, Winnebago County paid jurors about $27,500. From June 1 to Dec. 9 this year, the county has already paid out $44,100 to jurors. Winnebago County increased its annual trial court budget by $250,000 on Oct. 1 in anticipation of increased juror payments, according to County Administrator Steve Chapman.
"That was the estimate," Chapman said. "It obviously increased our expenses significantly."
In Boone County, Treasurer Curt Newport estimated the state law has raised annual juror expenses from about $55,000 per year to about $115,000.
"We have a much smaller general fund than Winnebago, so that’s a much more serious impact," said Boone County Administrator Ken Terrinoni. "With the budget that the board adopted this year, it keeps our programs in tact and actually adds two sheriff’s deputies. In the immediate future it won’t have a big impact, but long term is different."
Newport said jurors should be paid more than the paltry $13 a day they were paid before June 1, however, the added expense gets tricky at the county level.
"On the one hand if you’re a juror, $25 bucks still isn’t much for a day," Newport said. "And on other hand, if you’re a county scratching and clawing for money, every little bit hurts. I agree we need to pay our jurors better. (But) it’s expensive to administer justice."
Ben Stanley: 815-987-1369; bstanley@rrstar.com; @ben_j_Stanley
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20151211/NEWS/151219882/0/SEARCH
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