BILL REQ. #: S-3358.2
| State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2004 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/16/2004. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to jury source lists in counties with more than one superior court facility; amending RCW 2.36.055; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that superior courts
with more than one superior court facility are asking some jurors to
travel excessively long distances to attend court proceedings. In
these cases, the legislature further finds that consideration of a
juror's proximity to a particular courthouse can be accommodated while
continuing to provide proportionate jury source list representation
from distinctive groups within the community. The legislature intends
to lessen the burdens borne by jurors fulfilling their civic duties by
providing a mechanism that narrows the geographic area from which the
jurors are drawn while maintaining a random and proportionate jury
pool.
Sec. 2 RCW 2.36.055 and 1993 c 408 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
The superior court at least annually 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.
In a county with more than one superior court facility and a
separate case assignment area for each court facility, the jury source
list may be divided into jury assignment areas that consist of
registered voters and licensed drivers and identicard holders residing
in each jury assignment area. Jury assignment area boundaries may be
designated and adjusted by the presiding judge of the superior court
when required for the efficient and fair administration of justice.
The superior court upon receipt of the jury source list shall
compile a master jury 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source lists and master jury lists shall be superseded.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 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.