AN ACT Relating to jury source lists; amending
RCW 2.36.010, 2.36.055, 2.36.063, 2.36.065, 2.36.095, 29.04.160, and 29.07.220;
adding new sections to chapter 2.36 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.20
RCW; creating a new section; providing effective dates; and declaring an
emergency.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A
new section is added to chapter 2.36 RCW to read as follows:
The supreme court is requested to adopt court
rules to be effective by September 1, 1994, regarding methodology and standards
for merging the list of registered voters in Washington state with the list of
licensed drivers and identicard holders in Washington state for purposes of
creating an expanded jury source list. The rules should specify the standard
electronic format or formats in which the lists will be provided to requesting
superior courts by the department of information services. In the interim, and
until such court rules become effective, the methodology and standards provided
in section 3 of this act shall apply. An expanded jury source list shall be
available to the courts for use by September 1, 1994.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A
new section is added to chapter 2.36 RCW to read as follows:
Not later than January 1, 1994, the secretary
of state, the department of licensing, and the department of information
services shall adopt administrative rules as necessary to provide for the
implementation of the methodology and standards established pursuant to
sections 1 and 3 of this act or by supreme court rule.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A
new section is added to chapter 2.36 RCW to read as follows:
Unless otherwise specified by rule of the
supreme court, the jury source list and master jury list for each county shall
be created as provided by this section.
(1) The superior court of each county, after
consultation with the county clerk and county auditor of that jurisdiction,
shall annually notify the department of information services not later than
March 1 of each year of its election to use either a jury source list that is
merged by the county or a jury source list that is merged by the department of
information services. The department of information services shall annually
furnish at no charge to the superior court of each county a separate list of
the registered voters residing in that county as supplied annually by the
secretary of state and a separate list of driver's license and identicard
holders residing in that county as supplied annually by the department of
licensing, or a merged list of all such persons residing in that county, in
accordance with the annual notification required by this subsection. The lists
provided by the department of information services shall be in an electronic
format mutually agreed upon by the superior court requesting it and the
department of information services. The annual merger of the list of
registered voters residing in each county with the list of licensed drivers and
identicard holders residing in each county to form a jury source list for each
county shall be in accordance with the standards and methodology established in
this chapter or by superseding court rule whether the merger is accomplished by
the department of information services or by a county.
(2) Persons on the lists of registered voters
and driver's license and identicard holders shall be identified by a minimum of
last name, first name, middle initial where available, date of birth, gender,
and county of residence. Identifying information shall be used when merging
the lists to ensure to the extent reasonably possible that persons are only
listed once on the merged list. Conflicts in addresses are to be resolved by
using the most recent record by date of last vote in a general election, date
of driver's license or identicard address change or date of voter registration.
(3) The department of information services
shall provide counties that elect to receive a jury source list merged by
department of information services with a list of names which are possible
duplicates that cannot be resolved based on the identifying information
required under subsection (2) of this section. If a possible duplication
cannot subsequently be resolved satisfactorily through reasonable efforts by
the county receiving the merged list, the possible duplicate name shall be
stricken from the jury source list until the next annual jury source list is
prepared.
Sec. 4.
RCW 2.36.010 and 1992 c 93 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise
the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) A jury is a body of persons temporarily
selected from the qualified inhabitants of a particular district, and invested
with powerC
(a) To present or indict a person for a public
offense.
(b) To try a question of fact.
(2) "Court" when used without further
qualification means any superior court or court of limited jurisdiction in the
state of Washington.
(3) "Judge" means every judicial
officer authorized to hold or preside over a court. For purposes of this
chapter "judge" does not include court commissioners or referees.
(4) "Juror" means any person summoned
for service on a petit jury, grand jury, or jury of inquest as defined in this
chapter.
(5) "Grand jury" means those twelve
persons impaneled by a superior court to hear, examine, and investigate
evidence concerning criminal activity and corruption.
(6) "Petit jury" means a body of
persons twelve or less in number in the superior court and six in number in
courts of limited jurisdiction, drawn by lot from the jurors in attendance upon
the court at a particular session, and sworn to try and determine a question of
fact.
(7) "Jury of inquest" means a body of
persons six or fewer in number, but not fewer than four persons, summoned before
the coroner or other ministerial officer, to inquire of particular facts.
(8) "Jury source list" means the list
of all registered voters for any county, ((as compiled by each county
auditor pursuant to the provisions of chapter 29.07 RCW)) merged with a
list of licensed drivers and identicard holders who reside in the county.
The list shall specify each ((voter's)) person's name((,))
and residence address((, and precinct as shown on the original
registration card of each qualified voter)) and conform to the
methodology and standards set pursuant to the provisions of section 3 of this
act or by supreme court rule. The list shall be filed with the superior
court by the county auditor.
(9) "Master jury list" means the list
of prospective jurors from which jurors summoned to serve will be randomly
selected. The master jury list shall be either randomly selected from the jury
source list or may be an exact duplicate of the jury source list.
(10) "Jury term" means a period of
time of one or more days, not exceeding one month, during which summoned jurors
must be available to report for juror service.
(11) "Juror service" means the period
of time a juror is required to be present at the court facility. This period
of time may not extend beyond the end of the jury term, and may not exceed two
weeks, except to complete a trial to which the juror was assigned during the
two-week period.
(12) "Jury panel" means those persons
randomly selected for jury service for a particular jury term.
Sec. 5.
RCW 2.36.055 and 1988 c 188 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
The ((county auditor shall prepare and file
with the)) superior court at least annually((, at a time or times set
forth in an order of the judges of the superior court from the original
registration files of voters of the county a list of all registered voters.
The list may be divided into the respective voting precincts)) shall
cause a jury source list to be compiled from a list of all registered voters
and a list of licensed drivers and identicard holders residing in the county.
The superior court upon receipt of the jury
source list ((of registered voters filed by the county auditor shall use
that list as the jury source list and)) shall compile a master jury list ((from
the source list)). The master jury list shall be certified by the superior
court and filed with the county clerk. All previous jury source lists and
master jury lists shall be superseded. In the event that, for any reason, a
county's jury source list is not timely created and available for use at least
annually, the most recent previously compiled jury source list for that county
shall be used by the courts of that county on an emergency basis only for the
shortest period of time until a current jury source list is created and
available for use.
Upon receipt of amendments to the list of
registered voters ((from the county auditor)) and licensed drivers
and identicard holders residing in the county the superior court may update
the jury source list and master jury list as maintained by the county clerk
accordingly.
Sec. 6.
RCW 2.36.063 and 1988 c 188 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The judge or judges of the superior court of
any county may employ a properly programmed electronic data processing system
or device to compile the jury source list, and to compile the master
jury list and to randomly select jurors from the master jury list.
Sec. 7.
RCW 2.36.065 and 1988 c 188 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
It shall be the duty of the judges of the
superior court to ensure continued random selection of the master jury list and
jury panels, which shall be done without regard to whether a person's name
originally appeared on the list of registered voters, or on the list of
licensed drivers and identicard holders, or both. The judges shall review
the process from time to time and shall cause to be kept on file with the
county clerk a description of the jury selection process. Any person who
desires may inspect this description in said office.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as
requiring uniform equipment or method throughout the state, so long as fair and
random selection of the master jury list and jury panels is achieved.
Sec. 8.
RCW 2.36.095 and 1992 c 93 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Persons selected to serve on a petit jury,
grand jury, or jury of inquest shall be summoned by mail or personal service.
The county clerk shall issue summons and thereby notify persons selected for
jury duty. The clerk may issue summons for any jury term, in any consecutive
twelve-month period, at any time thirty days or more before the beginning of
the jury term for which the summons are issued. However, when applicable, the
provisions of RCW 2.36.130 apply.
(2) In courts of limited jurisdiction summons
shall be issued by the court. Upon the agreement of the courts, the county
clerk may summon jurors for any and all courts in the county or judicial
district.
(3) The county clerk shall notify the county
auditor of each summons for jury duty that is returned by the postal service as
undeliverable.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A
new section is added to chapter 2.36 RCW to read as follows:
Each court shall establish a means to
preliminarily determine by a written declaration signed under penalty of
perjury by the person summoned, the qualifications set forth in RCW 2.36.070 of
each person summoned for jury duty prior to their appearance at the court to
which they are summoned to serve. Upon receipt by the summoning court of a
written declaration stating that a declarant does not meet the qualifications
set forth in RCW 2.36.070, that declarant shall be excused from appearing in
response to the summons. If a person summoned to appear for jury duty fails to
sign and return a declaration of his or her qualifications to serve as a juror
prior to appearing in response to a summons and is later determined to be
unqualified for one of the reasons set forth in RCW 2.36.070, that person shall
not be entitled to any compensation as provided in RCW 2.36.150. Information
provided to the court for preliminary determination of statutory qualification
for jury duty may only be used for the term such person is summoned and may not
be used for any other purpose, except that the court, or designee, may report a
change of address or nondelivery of summons of persons summoned for jury duty
to the county auditor.
Sec. 10.
RCW 29.04.160 and 1977 ex.s. c 226 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
No later than February 15th and no later than
August 15th of each year, the secretary of state shall provide a duplicate copy
of the master state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters to the
state central committee of each major political party((,)) at actual
duplication cost, ((and)) shall provide a duplicate copy of the master
state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters to the statute law
committee without cost, and shall provide a duplicate copy of the master
state-wide computer tape or electronic data file of registered voters to the
department of information services for purposes of creating the jury source
list without cost. The master state-wide computer tape or data file of
registered voters or portions of the tape or file shall be available to any
other political party, at actual duplication cost, upon written request to the
secretary of state. Restrictions as to the commercial use of the information
on the state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters, and
penalties for its misuse, shall be the same as provided in RCW 29.04.110 and
29.04.120 as now existing or hereafter amended.
Sec. 11.
RCW 29.07.220 and 1991 c 81 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:
Each county auditor shall maintain a computer
file on magnetic tape or disk, punched cards, or other form of data storage
containing the records of all registered voters within the county. Where it is
necessary or advisable, the auditor may provide for the establishment and
maintenance of such files by private contract or through interlocal agreement
as provided by chapter 39.34 RCW, as it now exists or is hereafter amended.
The computer file shall include, but not be limited to, each voter's last
name, first name, middle initial, date of birth, residence address, sex,
date of registration, applicable taxing district and precinct codes and the
last date on which the individual voted. The county auditor shall subsequently
record each consecutive date upon which the individual has voted and retain at
least the last five such consecutive dates: PROVIDED, That if the voter has
not voted at least five times since establishing his or her current
registration record, only the available dates shall be included.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A
new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of
this section, the department shall annually provide to the department of
information services at no charge a computer tape or electronic data file of
all licensed drivers and identicard holders who are eighteen years of age or
older and whose records have not expired for more than two years and which
shall contain the following information on each such person: Full name, date
of birth, residence address including county, sex, and most recent date of
application, renewal, replacement, or change of driver's license or identicard.
(2) Before complying with subsection (1) of
this section, the department shall remove from the tape or file the names of
any certified participants in the Washington state address confidentiality
program under chapter 40.24 RCW that have been identified to the department by
the secretary of state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. If
specific funding for section 11 of this act, referencing section 11 of this act
by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1994, in the omnibus appropriations
act, section 11 of this act is null and void.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 15.
(1) Sections 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 13 of this act are necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state
government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1,
1993.
(2) Sections 10 and 12 of this act shall take
effect March 1, 1994.
(3) The remainder of this act shall take effect
September 1, 1994.
