Fair Juries During COVID-19: King County Leads the Way

The civil justice system depends on jurors from the community. What happens when the jury system is suddenly fraught with danger?  Jurors at higher risk for infection and severe outcome (death) are likely to be excused from service. 

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain populations also impacts jury composition. In addition to the obviously high risk to 60+ individuals, since early in the pandemic King County Public Health has been tracking racial inequities in COVID-19 infection and treatment. The CDC has also tracked disproportionate impacts in various demographics. And legal practitioners and scholars are noticing the results in the courtroom—less diverse and younger juries.

King County Superior Court has begun conducting voir dire (jury selection) by Zoom, with an option for in-person attendance, and is conducting trials with social distancing (including trials in the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue). The congregated masses of ordinary jury selection posed the biggest risk to many jurors, and hopefully remote jury selection will allow more jurors to serve. In addition, King County has suspended the court rule dividing the County into jury service areas, which should promote diversity on jury panels.

See King County orders and information here.

There is no silver bullet. But King County is leading the way proactively from as many angles as possible.