On June 3, 2021, the Eighth Judicial District Court released a new jury trial plan. See “Eighth Judicial District Court COVID-19 Jury Trial Plan June 3, 2021.”
Per the announcement, the plan is designed “to instruct judges and court staff on how to conduct an in-person jury trial in a manner that minimizes risks to all participants by taking every reasonable precaution that has been recommended by our community health care partners.” The plan addresses topics related to the following concerns:
- Pretrial Juror Communication
- Face Coverings
- Juror Questionnaires
- Jury Selection
- HVAC Augmentation
- Environmental Cleaning
- Infection Control
- Courtroom Protocol
- In Court Identification
- Trial Exhibits
- Jury Deliberation and Meals
- Juror Checks
- Public Access
- Infection/Exposure Event Protocol
For more information, see COVID-JURY-TRIAL-PLAN_2021-06-03-04_11_PM-8D7AD.PDF-FINAL-002, a 15-page PDF file available to download from the court’s blog at https://eighthjdcourt.wordpress.com/2021/06/08/new-jury-trial-plan-continues-covid-19-protections-for-those-coming-for-jury-duty-and-others-involved-with-trials/.