Effective April 2, the King County Superior Court has suspended the local court rule dividing the county into two jury districts. The rule went into effect on September 1, 2007.
Beginning in September, jurors were ordered to report for jury service in Seattle or Kent, generally based on whether they lived north or south of I-90. With the rule suspended, the court will resume assigning jurors randomly to Seattle or Kent.
Since January of this year, two judges have ruled that the statute authorizing the division of the county into two jury districts conflicts with the state Constitution, while other judges have rejected such challenges. In a recent case upholding the local court rule and the statute, the defense has filed a motion in the Washington Supreme Court seeking emergency review of the decision. The Superior Court judges have therefore suspended the local rule until the Supreme Court makes a decision.
“I am more than satisfied that each of the judges who has reviewed this issue has reached his or her conclusion after careful and scrupulous analysis,” said Presiding Judge Bruce Hilyer.
Judge Laura Inveen, chair of the court’s Jury Committee, said the two-district rule was adopted only after a thorough study of the demographics of King County to ensure that the racial diversity of the pool of potential jurors would not be impacted.
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