Jury summonses have continued court duty

EL CENTRO – The county Superior Court system is in the process of developing a protocol for when the time comes to hold a jury trial amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Currently, no jury trials are scheduled at the moment, said Mona Gieck, local Superior Court director of Administrative Services.

Jury trials that had been scheduled in the coming months have had their respective dates vacated and rescheduled toward the end of the year and into the new year.

Jury summonses have continued to be sent out but prospective jurors have only had to call in on their first day to report to receive instructions. The automated system tells them they are not needed and thanks them for their service, Gieck said in an email.

Prospective jurors are not required to call back each day during their assigned week, and only have to make that first call in order for the automated system to count them as responsive.

Previously, the county Superior Court system adopted a series of precautionary measures to safeguard employees, the general public and its partners in the justice system.

Some of those precautions have included holding a limited number of hearings and the use of video conferencing technology to allow parties to appear remotely before the court.

The court has also been hosting its proceedings in some of the courthouse’s larger courtrooms where social distancing guidelines can be followed.

Since the court initially announced its limited operations in March as a result of the pandemic, it has slowly but steadily expanded its operations, and resumed misdemeanor and civil proceedings, as well as operations at the Brawley courthouse.

Elsewhere across the state, jury selection and trials have been authorized to resume in some counties.