California Jury Fee Not Illegally Imposed Tax, Court Affirms

A California woman failed to convince a state appeals court that fees charged to offset the costs of providing civil jury trials are improperly enacted taxes.

California law prohibits the legislature from imposing new taxes without a two-third vote. That provision doesn’t apply to the state’s $150 advance jury fee because it doesn’t constitute a tax, the California Court of Appeal, Third District, ruled in an unpublished opinion Tuesday.

Sarah Dayaoun sued the Judicial Council of California after paying the fee in a suit over a car accident. She alleged the fee was an unconstitutionally enacted tax and requiring her ...