21-222

21-222. Arizona lengthy trial fund

(Rpld. 7/1/14)

A. The Arizona lengthy trial fund is established consisting of monies received from
the additional fees paid on all filings, appearances, responses and answers pursuant to
section 12-115. The monies in the fund shall not be used for any purpose other than as
prescribed in this section.

B. The supreme court shall administer the fund and shall adopt rules for the
administration of the fund. Not more than three per cent of the monies in the fund shall
be used for the reasonable and necessary costs of administering the fund. On or before
the fifteenth day of each month, on receipt of a request for reimbursement the supreme
court shall transmit monies from the fund to a jury commissioner for monies paid to a
juror under this section, together with a fee of not less than the amount prescribed in
section 12-284, subsection A, class E for each application for payment of replacement or
supplemental earnings by a juror.

C. Subject to the availability of monies, monies in the fund shall be used to pay
full or partial earnings replacement or supplementation to jurors who serve as petit
jurors for more than five days and who receive less than full compensation. The amount of
replacement or supplemental earnings shall be at least forty dollars but not more than
three hundred dollars per day per juror beginning on the fourth day of jury service.

D. A juror whose jury service lasts more than five days may submit a request for
payment from the fund. The amount a juror receives from the fund is limited to the
difference between the jury fee prescribed in section 21-221 and the actual amount of
earnings a juror earns, not less than forty dollars, up to the maximum level payable
under subsection C of this section, minus any amount the juror actually received from the
juror's employer during the same time period. A juror who requests payment from the fund:

1. Shall disclose on the form the juror's regular earnings, the amount the juror's
employer will pay during the term of jury service starting on the fourth day and
thereafter, the amount of replacement or supplemental earnings being requested and any
other information that the jury commissioner deems necessary.

2. Before receiving payment from the fund, shall submit verification from the
juror's employer, if any, regarding the earnings information that is provided under
paragraph 1. This verification may include the employee's most recent earnings statement
or a similar document.

3. In order to verify the weekly income if the juror is self-employed or receives
compensation other than wages, shall provide a sworn affidavit attesting to the juror's
approximate gross weekly income, together with any other information that the supreme
court requires.

E. Jurors who are unemployed and are not eligible for payment pursuant to
subsections C and D of this section are eligible to be paid forty dollars per day, even
if they receive income in the form of spousal maintenance, pensions, retirement,
unemployment compensation, disability benefits or other similar income. Commissioners
shall not deduct these other forms of income in calculating the amount these jurors are
to be paid from the fund.

F. The supreme court shall annually report to the joint legislative budget
committee on the amount of monies collected and disbursed from the fund and the number of
jurors who received monies from the fund. Beginning July 1, 2011, the report shall be
submitted electronically.