Authorizing persons scheduled to appear for jury service to request a postponement of the date of initial appearance for jury service under certain conditions; providing for subsequent postponements; providing for small business protection; specifying grounds for excuses from jury service; defining undue or extreme physical or financial hardship, requiring documentation and providing for excused persons return to the jury pool after a certain period of time; prescribing maximum terms of service; authorizing the supreme court to grant an exemption from maximum terms of service under certain conditions; requiring an alternative plan upon requesting an exemption; limiting the supreme court exemptions; prescribing penalties for failure to appear for jury service without a showing of good cause, providing for being held in contempt; modifying juror compensation, requiring the supreme court to establish a lengthy trial fund for wage replacement or supplementation for certain jurors, establishing procedures for obtaining supplemental compensation; imposing a trial fund fee on civil cases for deposit into the lengthy trial fund, providing exemptions from lengthy trial fees payments; protecting employees from having to use vacation or sick time for jury service; superseding certain jury management and district court rules
(me)