Va. Senate votes to end higher pay for property-case jurors

Posted to: News State Government Virginia
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By Deirdre Fernandes
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 24, 2010

RICHMOND

A bill that would cut the pay of jurors in property condemnation cases from $60 to $30 a day passed the full Senate on Tuesday.

HB81 would pay all jurors, regardless of the type of case, the same $30 fee. Del. Barry Knight, a Republican from Virginia Beach, sponsored the bill.

It would save the Virginia Department of Transportation, which takes properties for road projects, about $21,000 annually, Knight said. The party that brings the case has to pay for the jurors, he said. The bill also would solve a bookkeeping headache for court clerks, Knight said.

Utility companies, such as Dominion, and cities and counties also would probably benefit, said Henry Howell III, a Norfolk eminent-domain lawyer.

While VDOT used to have a majority of eminent-domain cases several ago, the agency's budget has been cut and so have its projects. Private companies and cities have been bringing more of these cases, Howell said.

The separate fee for condemnation jurors dates to when the parties in an eminent-domain case each chose their own jurors, usually experts in land use and property values, Howell said. The General Assembly changed the law several years ago to pull all jurors from the same pool.

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Its all tax money!

Submitted by Janbersea on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 9:23 pm.

It amazes me just how shortsighted people can be when it comes to how government money is spent. The more we pay jurors the more court cases costs the more taxes you pay. The more property cost for a road project the more the overall project costs, the more taxes you pay. Its all tax money that no one wants to pay.

Richmond should be working on more important issues.

Submitted by santa on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 7:48 pm.

Considering the shortfall facing Virginians, this is the best Knight can come up with? Richmond should be working on more important issues.

Jury Duty or a Witness Both Can Be A Waste of Time and Money

Submitted by Perspective1 on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 4:14 pm.

A few years back I witnessed a car driving off the road at 0700. I got out to see if they were ok, called 911 and waited until fire department showed up. The kid driving was DUI. I received a summons to appear in court, but got called and was not it was settled. I received another summons a couple of months later to possibly testify to what I witnessed. I was never called up to testify and found out that the kid and his parents were trying to get his drivers license reenstated. I missed a full day of work and received no money. As I was walking out I said to the parents your kid should cut my grass for six months to make up for me missing a day of work. I wrote a letter to the DA and they apoligized for the inconvience. I have my own business and missed out on making a couple hundred that day. I would of taken any money that day from the courts.

$30 or $60, jury pay is still a joke

Submitted by dokein on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 3:45 pm.

How about replacing this pittance with an income tax credit equal to 1/260th of your income for each day a person is called?

$30.00 a day? Please....

Submitted by johnp32882 on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 3:30 pm.

I make more than that in an hour if my salary was broken down. Civic duty or not, I'm worth more working then sitting there listening to a buch of blowhards take advantage of eminent domain against a homeowner.

If that's the case, and I'm on the jury, the homeowner will get my vote every time...

And we wonder why people don't like jury duty

Submitted by chesdem on Tue, 02/23/2010 at 3:19 pm.

I have always answered the summons and shown up when I have been called on to be in the jury pool. I once served on a jury we went five days then a mistrial was declared. Today however being on a jury could easily place me in contempt of court as even the sixty dollar a day stipend would hardly cover my child support let alone any other expenses.
We as citizens have a duty to serve on jury's but society has an obligation to make sure those serving on jury's are compensated at not just a rate that seems fair but a rate that is in line with one's potential earnings for the day(s) of work the citizen misses.