In a statewide decision, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has slashed juror pay from an already paltry $20 per day to $10 per day, in addition to mileage and day care expenses.

Jurors are giving up entire days and even weeks to make monumental decisions. One “guilty” or “not guilty” could change a life forever. These are not decisions we take lightly.

The only recourse for citizens selected for this task are medical conditions and age — jurors 70 and older can evade jury duty.

With such a pitiful reimbursement, courts may encounter jurors trying to get out of duty or speeding up a trial with a hasty verdict.