NYS jurors' daily pay to increase from $40 to $72 on June 8 under budget signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul

The daily pay for jurors is set to increase on June 8 from $40 to $72 — the first such hike in New York State in 27 years as the court system attempts to keep up with inflation and make serving more economically feasible.

The state budget, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this month, included language, first proposed by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Manhattan Democrat, that would increase by 80% the per-day wages for New Yorkers serving as jurors.

Trial and grand jurors who receive their regular wages from their employer during jury service are not paid by the state.

In a statement, Joseph A. Zayas, chief administrative judge of the New York State Unified Court System, which advocated for the increase, said the hike was overdue.

"The juror per diem payment has not been increased since 1998," Zayas said of legislation signed by then-Gov. George Pataki raising the rate from $15 to $40. "Considering the sacrifices that persons serving on juries are routinely asked to make, the value of their service, and the importance of juries reflecting a fair cross section of the community, it is good public policy for the state to ensure that juror compensation is periodically adjusted."

As was the case in the past, companies with 11 or more employees must pay employees the daily rate for each of their first three days of jury service. If jury service continues past three days, and employers do not pay the wage allowance, the state will make the payment.

Employees of companies with 10 or fewer workers who are not paid their regular wages will be paid the daily allowance by the state for each day of jury attendance.

Funding for the wage increase will be borne by the Judiciary’s annual budget, officials said.

Garden City defense attorney Ed Sapone said he would increase juror pay to $172 per day.

"I think it's still too low," Sapone said of the new rate. "I think it will make somewhat of a difference, but any difference is a step in the right direction."

Hoylman-Sigal, who first introduced the wage hike in February, has argued that meals, transportation and parking expenses associated with serving as a juror has made it economically unfeasible for many New Yorkers to meet their civic obligation as a juror.

The pay hike, he said, should make for a more willing jury pool.

But Bill Condon, a retired State Supreme Court justice in Suffolk County and a former trial attorney, said he doubts the increase will make a consequential difference in whether potential jurors are willing to serve.

"Jurors either want to serve or they don't," said Condon, who presided over more than 100 trials while on the bench. "It helps out a little bit to pay for gas money or maybe for lunch. But if somebody doesn't want to be on a jury, they can usually figure out how to get out of it ... So I don't think it's going to have such a significant impact on a potential juror's wallet that it'll be the difference maker in staying or leaving."

Daniel Russo, president of the Nassau County Bar Association, said while an extra $32 per day may not make a major difference — lunch alone in downtown Mineola can often run in excess of $30 — it could still convince some reluctant Long Islanders to fulfill their civic duty.

"There are people in this county ... who, when called to serve on jury duty, means missing a day's pay," Russo said. "And that's a lot to ask for a man or a woman living in Nassau County. No matter what their circumstances are. For a lot of people, missing a day's pay is a lot to ask."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.