And if the trial court's ruling is based on an interpretation of the law, we review that decision de novo. A defendant has no right to a particular juror. And as a general rule, the defendant must show prejudice to justify reversal. Both the United States Constitution and the Washington State Constitution article I, section 22, guarantee the criminal defendant a fair trial by an impartial jury. Nonetheless, the Constitution allows states to prescribe relevant qualifications for jurors.
States uniformly require jurors to understand spoken English.
Federal courts also seat only jurors who speak, read, write, and understand English. The Fourteenth Amendment and constitution article I, section 12, guarantee like treatment to those equally situated under the law. Prejudice is presumed unless jurors are selected according to the statutory scheme. However, substantial compliance is sufficient if a fair and impartial jury is achieved. State v. Twyman , No.