Jury Duty Pay in Delaware

About Jury Duty in Delaware

Delaware’s small size means jurors rarely travel far — the entire state is within about a two-hour drive — but its unique court system gives jury service here a dimension found nowhere else. Delaware’s Chancery Court handles major corporate disputes, meaning a Delaware juror could potentially sit on a case involving Fortune 500 companies.

How Jury Pay Works

Delaware uses a flat $20/day rate under Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 4514. Notably, this $20/day is an all-inclusive per diem — it covers attendance, travel, parking, and all other out-of-pocket expenses. There is no separate mileage reimbursement. Delaware is a “one day or one trial” state, with no compensation for the first day of service under that system. There is no employer mandate to pay wages. Delaware has only three counties (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex) — the fewest of any state — making jury administration straightforward and centralized compared to states with dozens or hundreds of counties.

The Court of Chancery

Delaware’s Court of Chancery is a unique institution. Founded in 1792, it’s the nation’s preeminent forum for corporate law disputes — most Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware, and their internal governance disputes are resolved here. Chancery cases are typically bench trials (judge-decided, no jury), but the court’s prominence shapes Delaware’s legal culture and jury system indirectly.

The presence of the Chancery Court means Delaware’s judiciary handles a volume and complexity of corporate litigation disproportionate to the state’s small population. For jurors in the Superior Court (Delaware’s general trial court), this means the system is well-funded and professionally administered — a benefit of the state’s outsized role in American corporate law.

Geographic Compactness

Delaware’s three counties are all within easy driving distance. A juror in Wilmington (New Castle County) reports to the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center. A juror in Georgetown (Sussex County) reports to the Sussex County Courthouse. At most, a juror drives about 75 miles — and in a state 96 miles long, even the “long” drives are short by the standards of Montana or New Mexico. The compact geography partially offsets the lack of separate mileage reimbursement; most jurors’ round-trip travel is modest.

How Delaware Compares

Delaware’s $20/day all-inclusive rate places it in the lower-middle tier nationally. Neighboring Pennsylvania pays $25/day with separate mileage, and Maryland $15/day. The all-inclusive nature of Delaware’s $20 — covering travel, parking, and expenses — makes direct dollar comparisons somewhat misleading; a Delaware juror driving 10 miles might net more than a Maryland juror at $15/day minus parking costs. Federal jurors in Delaware’s single district receive $50/day plus separate round-trip mileage. Delaware’s corporate law prominence means its court system is unusually well-resourced for a state its size, even if the daily juror stipend doesn’t reflect that wealth.

Statute: Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 4514 — Official source