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Introduction of the District of Columbia Juror Pay Parity Act

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 15, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Judicial Branch Federal, State and Local Relations

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Juror Pay Parity Act to require that DC Superior Court jurors receive the same pay as federal jurors.

Currently, Superior Court jurors are paid $40 per day, and, under the Home Rule Act, only the DC courts and Congress have the authority to increase Superior Court juror pay. My bill would require that Superior Court jurors receive the same pay as federal jurors.

In the fiscal year 2018 omnibus appropriations bill, Congress increased federal juror pay to $50 per day, the first increase to federal juror pay in 28 years. My bill would give Superior Court jurors the same pay.

Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-33), Congress took responsibility for paying for the DC courts and other state-like functions provide by DC. The DC courts, however, have always been under the control of Congress, even when they were funded by the District. The Home Rule Act prohibits the District government from enacting any law relating to Title 11 of the DC Code. Title 11 provides that the Board of Judges of the Superior Court sets juror pay, but that the pay may not exceed the pay of federal jurors. Therefore, this bill, or action by the DC courts, is necessary to increase Superior Court juror pay.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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