Welcome to Jury Service for the Yakima/Richland Division!
You have been randomly selected as a prospective juror for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington for a two-week on-call term of service. Your term of jury service begins on the date shown on your Summons.
You will need your nine-digit participant number to access your reporting instructions. This number appears on the left side of the front page of your Summons, below your two-week on-call term.
You are only required to travel to the courthouse when specifically instructed to do so via the reporting instructions. If you call and are not needed to report during the first week of your term, please keep in mind you may be required to report during the time remaining in your term, so continue to call in as instructed during your entire term.
Follow the Step-by-Step instructions below to complete your jury service obligation:
Step 1 - Complete the Juror Questionnaire
Federal law requires that you complete the juror questionnaire within 10 days of receipt of your summons notice and/or a paper questionnaire. A completed questionnaire is required. You will be afforded an opportunity within the questionnaire to request to be excused, if you believe that to be necessary.
The personal information you provide on your juror questionnaire and during the jury selection process will be used during the jury selection process only. The information will not become public record.
To complete your qualification questionnaire, click here. You will need your nine(9) digit juror participant number.
Notice to Juror: We have been informed of delays in the receipt of jury summons and are actively monitoring the situation. If you have received your summons 10 days after the initial summons date, you will not be penalized. In an effort to assist, the Court will be issuing a follow-up notice with a paper questionnaire. Please respond to the summons online or wait for the paper questionnaire to arrive. If you wait for the paper questionnaire to arrive, the Court asks you to respond immediately upon receipt, so we may determine your eligibility to serve and process any excuse requests.
Step 2 - Check Reporting Instructions
Call the Jury Information Line at 1 (866) 249-5932 (toll free) after 3:00 pm on the Friday immediately proceeding your Monday two-week on-call period. Press option #1 and enter your nine-digit participant number located on the right side of the front page of your Summons, below your two-week on-call term.
To check reporting instructions online, click here.
Follow the reporting instructions given by the court’s Jury Information Line. This automated message will advise you as to what date, time and courthouse location to report to, as well as when to call again for updated instructions. Jurors are not required to call every day.
Step 3 - Report for Jury Service
Do Not Report to a courthouse location without first checking your reporting instructions.
If you are required to Report:
Jury Service - Yakima Location: William O. Douglas Courthouse, 25 S. 3rd Street, Yakima, Washington
Jury Service - Richland Location: U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building, 825 Jadwin Avenue, Richland, Washington
Before you leave your house...
Attire: While no formal dress code exists, jurors are requested to dress in a manner respectful to the litigants and the Court. The courtrooms are generally very cool, so you may want to bring a sweater or light jacket.
Please Bring: A copy of your summons and photo identification with you when you report for jury duty.
Mileage: If you are traveling to report for jury service by vehicle, remember to track your one-way mileage from your home to the courthouse and you will be reimbursed accordingly.
Reside More than 60 miles away: If you live more than 60 miles from the courthouse, and your report time is in the morning, you are entitled to travel the day before your report date and stay overnight. Please travel on the assumption you may be required to stay the week, if selected as a juror. Click here for a list of Yakima Hotels. Click here for a list of Richland Hotels. Note: When making hotel reservations, be sure to let the hotel know you are a Federal Court juror and request a government rate. If lodging is in excess of the per diem, the juror is responsible for the overage. Please be prepared to show them your jury summons if needed.
Guests: You may bring a guest to join you for the orientation, and they may also go into the courtroom and sit in the gallery for the selection process.
Resource: Handbook for Trial Jurors
Parking...
Yakima Parking: An All-Day FREE parking lot is located one block away, across the street from the police station at Third Street and Walnut. Please do not park at 2 hour lots as selection does take several hours.
Richland Parking: The large "permit only" parking lot to the North of the Building on Jadwin Avenue is available for jurors to park in without a permit for the duration of jury selection for FREE. If selected as a juror, a temporary parking pass will be issued to you by the Clerk's Office for the duration of the trial.
When you arrive...
Entrance and Screening into the Courthouse: A person seeking entrance to a Federal court facility must present valid, government issued ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. Upon entering the building, you will pass through a screening station staffed by Court Security Officers (CSO’s). The CSO’s will check the contents of all bags, packages, briefcases and other containers by passing them through an X-ray machine. You will be required to walk through a metal detector. Individuals with pacemakers or cochlear implants may request screening via a handheld wand.
Proceed to the Jury Assembly Room: Please check in for jury service in the Jury Assembly Room.
Orientation/Selection: Jury orientation typically lasts an hour, and includes the viewing of an informational video. Afterward, you will proceed to the courtroom for jury selection. The duration of jury selection is dependent upon the case at hand, and may take up to a full day. If you are selected, your trial will generally begin on the day you report. You will be advised of the length of trial during the selection process.
Tablets and Cell Phones: Tablets and cellular phones may be used in the hallways, lobbies, and other areas of the courthouse. No device may be operated in camera, record, or video mode. Unless otherwise ordered by the presiding judge, jurors will not be allowed to use a laptop computer, smart phone, tablet or other electronic device within the courtroom.