MD Notes:

| November 15, 2016

In 1998, the Maryland Court of Appeals established the Council

In 1998, the Maryland Court of Appeals established the Council on Jury Use and Management. The Council completed a study through the work of three committees: Jury Pool and Summonsing Process; Quality of Jury Experience; and Trial Procedures and Role of Jury. One of the Council’s top recommendations was for the legislature to consider enactment of a law requiring employers to compensate employees called for jury duty, paying the difference between daily juror pay provided by the court and the normal daily rate of compensation, with the employer obligation extending to a maximum of three days. The Council also recommended various reforms to the court system such as increasing juror comprehension and more actively involving jurors in the trial, expanding juror sources lists, providing better orientation of jurors before they report for duty, and offering jurors day care services. It appears that the legislature has not yet adopted the Council’s recommendations. Jurors continue to receive $15 per day from the state for their service and counties may supplement the State per diem amount by local ordinance. Employers may not fire employees for lost time due to jury service, but are under no legal obligation to pay their employees for time spent as jurors.