Z-1348.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6179

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senator Smith; by request of Administrator for the Courts

Read first time 01/08/96.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Revising the procedure for impanelling juries.

    AN ACT Relating to impanelling juries; and amending RCW 4.44.120.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 4.44.120 and 1972 ex.s. c 57 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    When the action is called for trial, ((the clerk shall prepare separate ballots, containing the names of the jurors summoned, who have appeared and not been excused, and deposit them in a box.  He shall draw the required number of names for purposes of voir dire examination.  Any necessary additions to the panel shall be drawn from the clerk's list of qualified jurors.  The clerk shall thereupon prepare separate ballots and deposit them in the trial jury box, and draw such ballots separately therefrom, as in the case of the regular panel)) the jurors shall be selected at random from the jurors summoned who have appeared and have not been excused.  A voir dire examination of the panel shall be conducted for the purpose of discovering any basis for challenge for cause and to permit the intelligent exercise of peremptory challenges.  Any necessary additions to the panel shall be selected at random from the list of qualified jurors.  The jury shall consist of six persons, unless the parties in their written demand for jury demand that the jury be twelve in number or consent to a less number.  The parties may consent to a jury less than six in number but not less than three, and such consent shall be entered by the clerk on the minutes of the trial.

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