Jury cost more than $300K

Photo: The Canadian Press

The jury in the Lac-Megantic derailment criminal trial cost Quebec taxpayers more than $300,000, documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest.

The bills are only for juror-related expenses and do not include expenses linked to the four prosecutors that tried the case or costs related to staff and personnel needed at the Sherbrooke courthouse where the trial was held.

The 14 jurors that heard the evidence over a few months earned $211,989 in pay.

Only 12 jurors deliberated, finding the three accused in the case not guilty of one count each of criminal negligence causing the deaths of 47 people.

When figuring in hotels, meals, secured transport and translation services for the bilingual trial, the final tally sent to the Justice Department was $310,984.