Washington State Courts - News, Reports, Court Information

Summary Results

Personal Knowledge In Courts, Knowledge, Courts

Have you ever had personal involvement in the courts by serving on a jury, being a witness in court, as a plaintiff, a defendant, an observer or something else?

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	52	55	56	61	54	64	30	45	44	33
No	48	45	44	29	46	36	70	55	56	67
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Have you ever been a jury member?
Note: Base = those who said they had been personally involved in the courts, etc.

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	46	44	42	54	60	28	54	25	69	42
No	54	56	58	46	40	72	46	75	31	58
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

What kind of case were you involved in?
(Note: base = those who indicated they had served as a juror)

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Civil Case	47	44	47	43	40	64	35	41	76	35
Criminal Case	42	63	42	65	49	48	56	71	8	65
Small Claims Case	3	4	4	4	3	0	0	0	0	5
Family Relations Case	2	4	3	3	1	8	3	6	0	0
Juvenile Delinquency Case	1	1	1	1	1	0	3	6	0	5
Juvenile Defense Case	NA	0	NA	1	NA	0	NA	0	NA	0
Juvenile Non-Offender Case	NA	0	NA	1	NA	0	NA	0	NA	0

Have you ever been a defendant, or the person who was sued or accused?
(Note: Base = Those involved in the courts, etc.)

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	26	27	26	23	27	39	23	36	25	19
No	74	73	74	77	73	61	77	64	75	81
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Type of Personal Involvement in Court Cases as a Defendant:

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Civil Case	39	31	42	38	30	14	29	38	33	33
Criminal Case	22	35	18	27	30	49	36	33	56	44
Small Claims Case	15	13	16	7	18	16	7	17	0	33
Family Relations Case	14	21	14	21	15	30	14	13	11	11
Juvenile Delinquency Case	2	4	2	3	0	5	7	4	0	11
Juvenile Defense Case		3		1		5		0		11
Juvenile Non-Offender Case		1		0		0		0		11

Have you ever been a plaintiff, or the person who filed the lawsuit?
(Base = Those involved in courts.)

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	28	26	27	25	24	29	23	30	50	21
No	72	74	73	75	76	71	77	70	50	79
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Type of Personal Involvement in Court Cases as a Plaintiff:
(Base = Those involved in courts.)

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Civil Case	41	46	42	50	35	50	50	20	28	50
Criminal Case	12	15	10	15	14	14	0	20	39	10
Small Claims Case	27	26	27	27	31	14	14	30	22	50
Family Relations Case	18	18	18	12	14	39	21	25	11	0
Juvenile Delinquency Case	2	1	2	0	0	0	7	5	0	0
Juvenile Defense Case		2		4		0		0		0
Juvenile Non-Offender Case		1		3		0		0		0

Have you ever been a witness in a court proceeding?
(Base = Those involved in the courts.)

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	35	33	37	31	27	43	23	32	39	35
No	65	67	63	69	73	57	77	68	61	65
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Type of Personal Involvement in Court Cases as a Witness:

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Civil Case	36	35	37	40	24	22	44	24	43	47
Criminal Case	36	41	34	39	46	43	31	43	57	47
Small Claims Case	5	7	6	8	0	8	6	5	0	6
Family Relations Case	13	18	14	14	12	28	13	14	0	18
Juvenile Delinquency Case	4	2	5	3	3	0	6	5	0	0
Juvenile Defense Case		4		1		13		5		0
Juvenile Non-Offender Case		1		0		0		5		0

Have you ever observed court proceedings?
Note: While not specifically stated, the results reflect those who may have watched Court TV or other court proceedings other than actually in person. This would tend to support the higher percentage noted who indicate they have "ever" observed court proceedings.

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Yes	77	67	78	63	80	70	72	78	67	66
No	23	33	22	37	20	30	28	22	33	34
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Type of Personal Involvement in Court Cases as an Observer:

	Nat Tot	Wash Tot	Nat Cauc	Wash Cauc	Nat Black	Wash Black	Nat Hisp	Wash Hisp	Nat Asian	Wash Asian
Civil Case	41	43	41	47	35	38	49	40	50	29
Criminal Case	37	49	37	49	46	52	27	48	13	48
Small Claims Case	5	13	5	14	3	9	7	14	0	10
Family Relations Case	9	16	9	12	9	29	11	24	17	3
Juvenile Delinquency Case	4	6	3	4	3	9	4	14	17	0
Juvenile Defense Case		8		5		18		6		6
Juvenile Non-Offender Case		3		3		5		4		0

Pattern Jury Instructions

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