Adkins v. Clark County

Plaintiffs brought a personal injury action against the Aluminum Company of America in Superior Court for Clark County. At the conclusion of this trial, the issues regarding liability were submitted to the jury. Following a dinner break and during the jury deliberations, one of the jury members requested a dictionary from the supervising bailiff. The bailiff gave the third edition of Blacks Law Dictionary to the jury. The bailiff is paid by Clark County pursuant to RCW 2.32.360 and works under the supervision of Judge Morgan of the Clark County Superior Court. She had been instructed in the past by Judge Morgan "not to give the jury anything, not to make any communication of any sort but through me."