OLYMPIA — The Washington Supreme Court says the state has a right to demand a trial by jury when it gets sued.
The justices issued their unanimous decision Thursday, reversing an appeals court ruling in a case brought by a state prison guard who was injured on a ferry ride to the McNeil Island Corrections Center.
The guard, Scott Maziar, initially requested a jury trial, rather than one handled just by a judge, but then he withdrew that request.
The state Attorney General’s Office still wanted the trial to be by jury. The trial court said no, and Maziar was awarded $585,000 in damages. The Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial, this time with a jury.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a news release the decision is a victory for the jury system and will help his office protect taxpayer dollars.
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