Politics & Government

Should Jurors Pay For Parking?

The Martinez mayor and at least one Martinez city council member believe that jurors who serve in the county seat should not have parking tickets forgiven. What do you think?

It's difficult to be a juror — you have to take time off of your daily routine, sit in a courtroom and listen to hours of legalese. After the trial itself, you find yourself in a room with other strangers where the fate of one or more lives rests with your decision. This can take days, and even weeks.

And for Pinole residents, there is the added task of traveling to the Contra Costa Superior Court in Martinez.

So, asking jurors to find and pay for parking might seem a bit out of line, especially if they seldom visit Martinez and don't know their way around town very well. Currently, jurors who receive a parking ticket in Martinez will have it forgiven by the courts.

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But lately, there is a move to have that reversed. , when the subject of new credit card-reading meters were being discussed. Mayor Rob Schroder agreed, pointing out that the jurors in Walnut Creek courtrooms are required to pay for their own parking.

Merchants have long complained that their customers have to pay up at the meter or face expensive parking fines, while jurors take up precious downtown spaces for nothing. Others say that jurors are serving an important function in our society, are being exposed to downtown businesses they otherwise might not see, and should get a break. They also buy lunch during breaks.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What do you say? Should jurors have to pay for parking in Martinez? Tell us in the comments. 


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