Current Trials

General trial information

How long do “normal” trials take and how long is this trial expected to take?

Each trial is unique in the amount of evidence presented, and the number of witnesses and experts called to testify. This trial is expected to take 6-8 weeks. The duration of a trial is affected by many factors and could shorten or lengthen due to events that transpire during the trial. 

Is there a livestream? How do I watch it? 

The trial will be streamed as a webinar. If the webinar is not sufficient and if staffing levels allow, we will provide an overflow courtroom with a feed of the trial. 

Will Voir Dire be livestreamed?

Voir Dire is the process of jury selection and is expected to take the first two weeks of the trial. King County Superior Court does not livestream jury selection. There will be limited gallery seating for the public and members of the media during the jury selection process. There will also be space in the courtroom for families of the defense and the State. The seating process will be the same as for when the trial begins.

How can I receive a copy of the transcript?

King County Superior Court uses digital court recording in trial courtrooms. Recordings of the proceedings can be requested through the King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office for a fee. 

I am hoping to watch the livestream or appear in the courtroom to watch the proceedings. Can I be guaranteed that the trial will in session? 

While the trial is scheduled to run Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to –4 p.m., there is no guarantee that court will be in session when you are able to watch. There are many reasons why the proceedings may be paused when you are able to view. For example, if a witness or expert becomes unavailable or the parties are trying to answer a question for the judge, it could cause the court to be in recess for a few hours to a full day. There will likely be very little advance notice when this occurs.

Will the livestream be recorded?

The court will not record the livestream. This also means the day’s proceedings will not be rebroadcast by the court later in the day. Audio recordings of the proceedings will be available through the Superior Court Clerk’s office as described above. Recording of the webinar is prohibited.

Will evidence be displayed on the livestream?  

The court does not broadcast the evidence presented to the jury over the livestream.

If the livestream goes down, will court stop?

The court is required to have an open courtroom. Our courtrooms are open to the public and livestreaming is only a way to increase access for the public. If the livestream feed goes down, the court will work as quickly as possible to restore the livestream but stopping court proceedings is up to the judge presiding over the case.

When will jury deliberations begin and how long will they last?  

Because much depends on what happens during the trial, the court has no way of knowing in advance when deliberations will begin, but this will become more apparent as the trial progresses. The court does not know how long a jury may take to deliberate on a verdict.

What is the public seating capacity for Courtroom 3F?

Courtroom 3F has a capacity for 30 members of the public. They will be seated during the trial in the last five rows of the right side of the courtroom.

Who decides what side of the courtroom the attorneys sit on?

The State (prosecutor) sits closest to the jury box. In Courtroom 3F the “State” side is on the left side of the courtroom. You may notice this extends to the gallery as well. Additional attorneys and staff for the Attorney General’s Office and family members of Jesse Sarey are also seated on the left side of the courtroom. The defense side (right side) includes additional attorneys and staff for the defense along with defendant’s family members. 

What if I have questions about why or how a decision was made in this trial? Can I speak with the judge or a court employee about the decision?

Court staff or judicial officers cannot provide legal advice and cannot discuss judicial decisions outside of the court hearing. If there are concerns about the decisions of a judicial officer, those are brought up by the parties in the appeal process.