Gavin Newsom’s budget plan cuts $100 jury pay program amid California deficit concerns

Sacramento, California – As California grapples with a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised spending plan seeks to end a pilot program that increased daily pay for jurors in seven counties. The Jury Duty Pilot Program, launched just eight months ago, was designed to make jury pools more economically and demographically representative by raising juror compensation from the statewide norm of $15 per day to $100.

Initially funded as a two-year legislative initiative, the state government intended the program to address longstanding disparities in jury service participation. The increased per diem aimed to reduce financial barriers for lower-income residents, many of whom are otherwise excused due to economic hardship. Newsom’s plan to terminate the program prematurely would save the state an estimated $27.5 million.

While several counties have already discontinued the higher jury stipend in response to the budget proposal, Alameda County has yet to announce how it will proceed without state funding. Meanwhile, the Judicial Council is still required to submit a six-month progress report to the Legislature analyzing the program’s impact.

The decision to cut the program comes as California also implements new criminal justice policies expected to increase incarceration rates, raising concerns about equity in jury representation. Critics argue that eliminating the stipend while expanding tough-on-crime policies could further erode trust in the justice system by removing opportunities for low-income and working-class individuals to participate in the jury process.

San Francisco previously piloted its own $100-a-day “Be The Jury” initiative in 2022. A local study found that the higher pay successfully broadened participation, particularly among people of color and lower-income households. Those results played a key role in the state’s decision to expand the model through legislation in 2022.

Despite the program’s early termination, the Judicial Council’s upcoming report may still provide data to inform future efforts aimed at improving jury diversity. Currently, California does not collect demographic data from jurors. Still, anecdotal evidence from courtrooms continues to show that jury pools are often composed of retirees, professionals, and individuals whose employers offer paid jury leave.

In Los Angeles, where jurors still receive the $15 statewide rate, disparities in jury makeup remain evident. In one recent criminal trial, a young Black defendant faced a jury of older, educated professionals—a panel that appeared far removed from his own lived experience.

The abrupt end of the Jury Duty Pilot Program marks a setback for those seeking to create a more inclusive and representative justice system. Whether the short-term budget savings will justify the long-term social costs remains an open question.