What Happens to Your Pay When You're Sequestered for Jury Duty?

Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

In high-profile criminal trials — think murder cases, complex fraud, or politically sensitive cases — judges sometimes order the jury to be sequestered. That means jurors live in a hotel under court supervision for the duration of deliberations, sometimes for days or even weeks.

If you're facing this, you probably have one immediate question: who pays for all of this?

Your Daily Pay Continues — And Expenses Are Covered

Being sequestered doesn't change your daily jury stipend — you continue to receive the same amount you've been getting throughout the trial. What changes is that the court also covers:

• Hotel accommodations: Jurors are housed in a court-arranged hotel, paid by the court
• Meals: Three meals a day are provided or reimbursed
• Transportation: Shuttles to and from the courthouse
• Incidentals: Courts vary, but reasonable personal expenses are typically reimbursed

What You Can and Cannot Do While Sequestered

Sequestration is about preventing jurors from being exposed to outside information about the case. Practically, this means:

• No news consumption (TV news is often blacked out in hotel rooms)
• No social media or internet browsing related to the case
• Supervised phone calls — court staff may monitor conversations
• No contact with family unless arranged through the court
• Limited reading material (newspapers may be screened)

How Long Does Sequestration Last?

Sequestration can begin before deliberations (rare) or during deliberations (more common). Most sequestration periods last days to a week or two. The longest in US history lasted months, but that's extremely unusual.

Can You Ask to Be Excused From Sequestration?

Once you're on the jury and sequestration is ordered, the grounds for excusal become very limited. Genuine medical emergencies or documented family crises (a child's hospitalization, for example) may warrant consideration. Simply not wanting to be away from home is not sufficient.

The better time to raise sequestration concerns is during voir dire — many courts ask potential jurors whether they have any hardship that would prevent them from serving on a sequestered jury.

Does Sequestration Affect Your Tax Situation?

The hotel stays and meals provided by the court are generally not considered taxable income — they're necessary expenses of your service, not compensation. Only your daily attendance fee is taxable.