Tish Bouvier recalled when she was summoned into jury duty this past March. At first, she said she wasn’t happy about having to navigate the morning rush hour in order to make her 8 a.m. appointment at the downtown Houston courthouse. Bouvier’s commute from west Houston meant that she had to give herself at least an hour to leave her house in order to make it on time.

While Houston traffic is the norm for city dwellers traveling by car to work, for Bouvier, a retired hospice nurse, it turned out that commute would become her new routine twice a week for three months after being selected as a grand juror in Harris County.

“I actually enjoyed being on jury duty,” Bouvier said. “I was among a group of people who believed it was an honor to make a meaningful contribution to our society.”

As for Bouvier’s time on jury service, the county paid $6 for the first day and $40 for every subsequent day following that, totaling approximately $1,046 not including taxes for the three months. Considering that the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the average monthly retirement income adjusted for inflation in 2023 is over $4,000, Bouvier could have incurred a loss of approximately close to $3,000. Despite the costs, she said serving as a grand juror was positive and a learning experience.

“For me personally, serving on the jury provided an opportunity to learn about various aspects of the law and gain insight into how the legal system works, especially here in Harris County,” Bouvier said. “Now I have a new respect for the officers of our city because of what they’re faced with every day.”

The bigger picture

Residents and registered voters serving jury duty from across Harris County will get a pay bump starting in September after the Texas Legislature approved the first pay increase in the state since 2005, according to Harris County officials.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3474 on June 13 that calls for jury pay to increase from $6 to $20 for the first day and from $40 to $58 on subsequent days.

Quote of note

Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess, whose office oversees the jury summons and court process, said in a statement that she traveled to Austin several times this year in order to push for passage of jury pay increase for Texas jurors.

“I am confident this jury pay increase is a necessary first step towards improving participation and having juries that reflect the diverse racial and socioeconomic demographics of Harris County,” Burgess said. “We can only achieve that if we pay our jurors fairly.”

Bouvier agrees and said the pay boost may encourage more people to serve without excuses.

“We were paid $40 a day; however, that wasn’t enough for those who had a full time jobs because it didn’t match what they made on their jobs,” she said. “Money talks, and with a pay increase along with free parking may be enough incentive to encourage participation.”

Another viewpoint

For Harris County resident Derrick Whitsett, he found the pay unfair since employers in the state aren’t required to pay you for jury duty. Whitsett drove from Willowbrook on the northwest side of Houston for his jury duty service in May. When he read he would be paid $6 for the day, he wondered why jurors weren’t paid at least Texas minimum wage of $7.25 at the time.

“Although I appreciate the daily pay increase, a jury should be paid at a rate that’s hourly for however long the trial is,” Whitsett said. “At least pay slightly above the minimum wage so people can feel like they are still valued during their time. Then maybe they’ll get people who want to actively participate.”

Zooming out

Burgess went before Harris County Commissioners Court in March 2021 with a proposal to increase jury pay, according to a news release. She proposed for a higher rate than what was approved by the governor in June 2023, from $6 to $50 for the first day of service, and from $40 to $80 for subsequent days.

Commissioners Court tabled the proposal.

“More is needed in terms of jury pay, and I will continue to work with Commissioners Court to supplement the local portion of jury pay in Harris County,” Burgess said.