Editor's note: The above video on the suspension of jury trials due to COVID-19 originally aired Nov. 20, 2020.
KING COUNTY, Wash. - A new rule proposed by King County Superior Court judges could make jury selection by video conferencing permanent.
King County courts have been conducting jury selection virtually since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to limit the spread of the virus, but some now say they prefer it and want to keep the practice even after the pandemic.
According to the draft proposal, King County judges say jurors prefer going through the selection process virtually and it saves time. In the past, jurors have experienced long wait times, missed work and faced expenses for child care and parking in order to get to the court in person, the proposal states.
If approved, keeping the virtual process would "provide a more accessible, affordable and efficient means for citizens from all walks of life to perform their civic duty," the proposal says.
The judges said their anecdotal experience is that "jurors are more diverse in all aspects, racial, ethnic, economic," since moving to a virtual selection process.
King County Clerk Casey Bresin-Clark, in an email obtained by KING 5, expressed her support for the proposal saying the virtual jury selection process saves time and money for all parties involved.
There are some who oppose the idea, however, saying the virtual selection process cannot replace the information attorneys are able to get from an in-person meeting.
"The engagement of prospective jurors, natural responses and conversation with the attorneys and their fellow jurors, will almost definitely decrease when done virtually," said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kayvon Behroozian in an email to the superior courts.
Behroozian said he supports the virtual jury selection process in certain circumstances, such as during a public health emergency like the pandemic.
King County judges have sent the proposal to the Washington State Supreme Court rules committee to be considered. No decision is expected before the end of the year.
The public has until Dec. 29, 2021, to submit their comments on the proposal through the Washington Courts website.