Kane jurors get Wi-Fi

One day's pay for Kane County jury duty: $10.

Reimbursement per mile traveled from your home to the courthouse: 20 cents.

Knowing you can still stay in touch with your small business: Priceless.

Kane County officials recently fired up their wireless network at the Judicial Center in St. Charles.

And residents summoned for jury duty are starting to take notice, bringing in their laptop computers so they're connected with the office.

"I was able to work almost the whole two hours I was there. My battery almost ran out," said Denise Skomer, president of Bound By Grace, a Batavia-based firm that publishes religious education materials.

Last week was Skomer's first time called for jury duty. She learned about the Wi-Fi option when she called the juror hotline Sunday night.

"It was great because I didn't lose any production time," she said. "If you have a laptop, it's a great way to pass the time. If you have a job you can do remotely, it's a no-lose situation."

The project was led by the Kane County Bar Association, Chief Judge Donald Hudson and County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay.

Jurors are allowed to use their computers while waiting to be called but not in the courtroom itself. Attorneys also have access to the Wi-Fi network.

The Third Street civil courthouse in downtown Geneva does not have wireless.

Elsewhere, some counties offer wireless, but some don't.

DuPage and Lake counties have wireless service, Cook county doesn't.

McHenry County has three phone plug-ins for laptops, but no wireless network.

Kane County residents called for jury duty last week said communicating via laptop was private and didn't disturb other people called.

Jennifer Chapman, owner of a St. Charles tutoring center called Learning Ascent, said she was surprised to hear of the option.

She had never been called for jury duty before and had this picture in her mind that she would be sequestered in a room with no contact with the outside world.

Chapman was able to communicate with her five staff members and access her firm's online schedule.

"It really does take the sting out of jury duty," she said. "It was very convenient. I was able to get a lot of work done."

Marc Czachorski, a St. Charles resident who works a sales and marketing director, also reported for jury duty last Monday. He wasn't selected but made the most of his three hours.

"This is a nice service that the county offers," Czachorski said, adding he was pleasantly surprised to learn he could bring his computer. "It worked perfectly. It was a great payoff. I was able to conduct business from the courthouse."