Incentive for Jury Duty Sweetened in Some Idaho Counties

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Some of Idaho's 44 counties are sweetening jury pay after the Legislature quintupled the 45-year-old cap. In the process, however, jury per diem payments are becoming a patchwork, as some counties stick to the existing $10 daily rate, while others hike it to the new limit, $50. Within Idaho's seven judicial districts, discrepancies are emerging. In the 2nd Judicial District, Nez Perce County hiked the per diem to $50, hoping to produce more-representative juries and reduce no-shows. Neighboring Idaho County, meanwhile, doubled juror pay to $20 — but decided any more might crimp other essential services. Officials say discerning a jury-pay "Goldilocks Zone" requires balancing finances and notions of jury duty as a civic responsibility underpinning America's judicial system with the acknowledgement that per-diem parsimony may leave jurors feeling unappreciated.