Virus outbreak sidelines Florida jury trials till July

courtroom
Coronavirus crisis also pushes back other court deadlines.

The coronavirus outbreak has sidelined Florida jury trials until at least early July and pushed back several other court deadlines.

Florida Chief Justice Charles Canady also said in an order Monday that more types of hearings and other court business would be conducted remotely. This includes non-jury trials if all parties agree, some arraignments, status and motion hearings, and pretrial conferences.

The Supreme Court issued a statement saying the virus outbreak has made jury trials unsafe at the moment. No jury trials will be held until at least July 2.

“In-person jury trials pose a special hazard because they can expose jurors and other courtroom participants to a risk of infection. Future extensions will be considered if needed,” the statement said.

For first-degree murder cases, the new order suspends until July 2 some requirements for in-person preliminary hearings and a requirement that defendants be automatically released from custody if prosecutors are unable to file charges within 40 days.

Canady said a working group formed to tackle these issues sill make suggestions for remote procedures that can continue even after the pandemic is over.

____

Republished with permission from The Associated Press.

Associated Press



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories