June 2020 Bar Bulletin
Rocha v. King County
No. 96990-6
(Wash. Apr. 9, 2020)
Justice Johnson
Writes for the Court
Petitioners filed a class action complaint in Pierce County Superior Court asserting that King County underpays its jurors, claiming violations of minimum wage laws and the jury compensation laws of Washington because the low jury pay has disparate impact based on economic status. The Superior Court dismissed the claims on summary judgment by King County. The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision 2-1, holding that the petitioners lacked standing, that jurors are not employees, and that there was no cause of action on the issue of disparate impact.
Washington Supreme...