Opinion ID: 2514211
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Effect of publicity on jurors

Text: Of the 162 jurors filling out a juror questionnaire, 24 (or 15 percent) claimed they had not seen, read, or heard anything about the case, and 102 of the remaining 138 (or 63 percent) said they had formed no opinion about the case. Twenty-nine prospective jurors claimed they had formed an opinion, six did not respond to the question, and one marked both yes and no. Br. of Resp't at 48 nn. 20-21. Of the jurors who were seated and who deliberated, two claimed they had not seen, read, or heard anything about the case, two could not remember anything specific about what they had read or heard, seven remembered something but had not formed an opinion. Only Ms. Preston, above, had previously formed an opinion but as noted, claimed during voir dire she could set her opinion aside. Ms. Preston was not challenged for cause. As we noted in Rice, [t]he relevant analysis is whether the jurors had such fixed opinions that they could not act impartially. 120 Wash.2d at 558, 844 P.2d 416. Clark does not present persuasive evidence of juror partiality.