For the first time in years, people are volunteering to sit on juries, the New York Post reports, even in the Federal Court which doesn't accept volunteers.

Vincent Homenick, the chief clerk of the jury division for Manhattan explained: "People are calling up, saying, 'Look, I lost my job; now would be a good time for me to serve'. Not that $40 will pay the bills, but it's something." He added that juries are looking more diverse now than ever, with a larger than normal number of "wall streeters" and other professionals putting their hands up to serve.