(a) Compensation of employed jurors during first three days of service. All regularly employed jurors shall be paid regular wages by their employer, not to exceed $50.00 per day, unless modified by mutual agreement between the employee and employer, for the first three days of juror service or any part thereof. Regular employment shall include part-time, temporary, and casual employment if the employment hours may be determined by a schedule, custom, or practice established during the three-month period preceding the juror's term of service.

(b) Financial hardship of employer or self-employed juror. The court shall excuse an employer or a self-employed juror from the duty of compensation for trial service upon a finding that it would cause extreme financial hardship. When such a finding is made, a juror shall receive reasonable compensation from the city for the first three days of juror service as determined by the jury commissioner and approved by the court administrator, not to exceed $50.00 per day of juror service. A court hearing on an employer's extreme financial hardship shall occur within 30 days of the employer's written request for the hearing. An employer shall make the request for a hearing to the jury commissioner within ten days of receipt of the juror service certificate or within ten days of juror service by a self-employed juror. The jury commissioner shall set a hearing date as provided in this section. Failure to request a hearing within the specified time periods shall subject the employer to employee compensation as prescribed in this division.

(c) Reimbursement of unemployed jurors. Each trial juror who is unemployed may apply to the jury commissioner on the first day of juror service for an award of reasonable compensation from the City as determined by the jury commissioner and approved by the court administrator, not to exceed $50.00 per day of juror service. The jury commissioner may limit an unemployed juror's service when appropriate. The jury commissioner shall establish written guidelines and forms for the reimbursement of unemployed trial jurors. Any trial juror who is not regularly employed, including but not limited to retired persons, homemakers, students, unemployed persons, and persons receiving unemployment benefits, shall be entitled to apply for reimbursement under this subsection.

(d) Compensation of jurors after first three days of service. Each juror who is employed and serves more than three days may apply to the jury commissioner for reasonable compensation for the fourth day of service and each day thereafter at a rate determined by the jury commissioner and approved by the court administrator, not to exceed $50.00 per day. A trial juror receiving payment under this division shall not be entitled to additional reimbursement for travel or other out-of-pocket expenses.

(e) Limitations on juror compensation. The city shall credit each juror for only those days on which the juror appeared for juror service.

(f) Special awards of compensation and reimbursement. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division, the court is authorized to make special awards of compensation and reimbursement to any juror based upon unusual circumstances or to effect the purposes of this article. By appropriate order the court may make special arrangements for physically impaired and elderly jurors and may provide for the other needs of jurors.

(g) Enforcement of employer's duty to compensate jurors. If the employer fails to compensate a juror within 30 days after tender of the jury certificate, the court may commence a contempt action against the employer. Extreme financial hardship on the part of the employer may be a defense to such an action if so determined by the court. (Code 1979, § 25-82)