JURY TRIALS WON’T RESUME MONDAY
Recent rise in COVID-19 cases causes delay in planned move
The anticipated March 22 restarting of jury trials in Oakland County Circuit Court is a no-go, due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
Jury trials throughout the state were halted a little more than a year ago per the Michigan Supreme Court in response to the virus, with guidelines issued for resuming them based on reported 7-day average of positive tests and the number or reported cases in the past week relative to each court. Oakland County Circuit Court had moved into Phase 3 earlier this month based on reported COVID-19 cases, paving the way for the court’s first jury trial since the restrictions were put in place. However, an upward trajectory of documented cases and positivity rate reverted the court back to Phase 2, as of March 14.
Circuit Court Administrator Kevin Oeffner said the resumption of trials will be determined on a week-by-week basis, with judges making the call based on consultation with the Oakland County Health Division and the Supreme Court Administrator Offices.
In anticipation of jury trials resuming, Oakland County Circuit Court has a plan in place that includes a scheduling system using alphabetical order of judges’ names as well as outfitting eight courtrooms with plexiglass barriers and distancing stickers on floors and seating — deemed social distancing measures that purportedly will curb the spread of COVID-19 in case someone in the courtroom is contagious.
Tables, chairs and podiums used by the defense and prosecution have been rearranged, and changes have been made to ventilation systems as an additional measure. Everyone who enters the courthouse will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and will be required to wear a face mask.
Further restrictions limit the number of people permitted in a courtroom to 25, which means only those deemed essential to the proceedings. This accounts for the judge, clerk and court reporter, assistant prosecutor and officer-in-charge on the case, defense attorney and defendant,
sheriff’s deputies and jurors. Family members of defendants or alleged victims, media and other interested
parties won’t be allowed to attend, but the trials will be live-streamed via Zoom so they can be viewed remotely.
New procedures for jurors are also in place, Oeffner said, to maintain adequate social distancing.
This applies to juror waiting areas and courtroom seating as well as deliberation areas, which will be held in courtrooms adjoining trial courtrooms rather than the much smaller jury rooms.
For information on
viewing jury trials and other circuit court proceedings remotely, go to https://www.oakgov.com/ courts/circuit/Pages/default.aspx. Viewers are not required to identify themselves per the Michigan Supreme Court.