Jury pay bill among many signed by Nevada gov

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A bill boosting pay rates for jurors and erasing many jury service exemptions was signed into law Wednesday by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Until now, people summoned for jury duty got a check for $9 for each day they're at the court. If they're selected to serve on a jury, they were paid $15 for the first five days of service and $30 for each day after the fifth.

SB73 removes the $9 pay for being summoned, but pays people $40 for each day after the first day they're in attendance for jury selection. It also makes jurors eligible for a blanket rate of $40 for each day they serve.

Jurors and prospective jurors will be compensated for travel expenses at a rate of 36.5 cents per mile if they drive more than 65 miles to the courthouse. That's up from 20 cents per mile.

The new law also strips away the current list of people exempted from jury service. That list includes elected officials, police officers, prosecutors, attorneys, doctors and correctional employees, among others.

Guinn also signed:

--SB199, which brings Nevada into compliance with federal laws by making it illegal for someone to knowingly sell a gun to a person who is a convicted felon, takes illegal drugs or has been judged mentally ill by a court. An amendment sought by Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, revises a law dealing with switchblades to help Emerson Knives Inc., now located in California, move to Douglas County. Emerson's products include a knife that has a spring to keep it locked once opened -- and that brought it under the state's old definition of illegal switchblades.

--SB297, sought by a state senator whose credit card information was used by someone else to run up more than $16,000 in charges. The measure from Sen. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, bans the use of electronic devices to steal credit information and imposes stiff penalties on people who commit such crimes. The bill calls for prison terms of up to 20 years and fines up to $100,000. The perpetrator also would be required to pay the victim's legal fees and costs incurred to restore their credit.

--SB394, which revises state laws on annoying or molesting children to comply with Nevada Supreme Court rulings. The bill also puts mentally ill people into a status similar to the laws protecting children from sexual predators. The bill also states that the crime of unlawful contact with a child applies if the offender is five years older than the victim and the victim is under 16 years old.

--SB317, which sets up a statewide education system for prisoners and allows the state college and university system to offer classes for inmates. The measure was amended to delete wording that would have let some convicts take courses for free. A separate section allows sheriffs to petition a judge for an emergency inmate release. The judge could release inmates who have served 75 percent of their sentence, are not a danger to the community and are not charged with violent crimes.

--SB351, requiring state licensing of psychologists who treat problem gamblers. Carole O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, told legislators that as more states incorporate gambling into their cultures, certification of problem gambling counselors is gaining prominence.