Do they still pay you at jury duty if you have no job at the time?

Question

i have jury duty next week 1st time ever been called (im 19yrs)

is it true that they pay you like 5 bucks an hour to be there or does that only apply to people who have a job and skipped work to be there?

Im still wasting gas to go to the dang court... will i still get money even if i dont have a job at the moment?

Answer 1

The only reason a jurist is paid is to prove to the person's employer that he or she is not s******g off.  I had to give my juror check to my boss in exchange for my regular check.  

The money you get in this case is yours, though it won't be a lot.  Be sure to report it to unemployment and your taxes just to be safe.

If this stint of jury duty is going to present a hardship, you should tell the prosecutor what your circumstances are.   Maybe you can get off or a deferral until you have a job.

Answer 2

It is not 5 dollars an hours.  It is 5 dollars a DAY in most states.  Yes, you will still get paid even if you are not currently employled, and yes you will lose money on the deal.  You'll probably have to buy lunch somewhere as it is hard to pack a lunch when you are on jury duty--often they limit what you can carry in.  Courthouse cafeterias are not cheap either.  Sorry I don't have better news but I've been through this experience 4 times now (I'm 49)