Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Judiciary Committee |
HB 1158
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Title: An act relating to electronic signatures for juror questionnaires.
Brief Description: Allowing electronic signatures on juror questionnaires.
Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Rodne, Pedersen, Warnick and Klippert; by request of Board For Judicial Administration.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 1/19/09
Staff: Courtney Barnes (786-7194)
Background:
Washington selects jurors at random from voter registration, driver's license, and identicard records. The courts are required to establish a method to preliminarily determine, by a written declaration, whether a person summoned for jury duty is eligible to serve on a jury. Written declarations are typically mailed with the juror summons in the form of a juror questionnaire. Written declarations are completed by all potential jurors prior to their appearance at the court to which they are summoned to serve. Written declarations are signed under penalty of perjury by the person summoned that he or she is eligible for jury service. To be eligible for jury service, a person must:
be at least 18 years of age;
be a citizen of the United States;
be a resident of the county in which he or she has been summoned to serve;
be able to communicate in the English language; and
have his or her civil rights restored, if convicted of a felony.
Only those jurors who are eligible for service become part of a jury pool. A jury pool is a group of citizens from which trial juries are chosen.
Summary of Bill:
As an alternative to a written declaration and written signature, courts are permitted to establish a means to use an electronic declaration to preliminarily determine whether a person summoned for jury duty is eligible to serve on a jury. Electronic declarations are signed under penalty of perjury by the person summoned for jury service. An electronic signature may be used instead of a written signature. An electronic signature is an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a document and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign a document.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 14, 2009.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.