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Law360 (December 16, 2020, 9:38 PM EST ) All in-person jury trials in the Southern District of Indiana are suspended until at least March 1, the district's chief judge ordered Wednesday, saying that in-person proceedings would worsen the spread of COVID-19.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson's order comes just days after the Indiana Supreme Court also ruled to suspend in-person juries in state courts.
Judge Magnus-Stinson said that upon a judge's order, parties can hold jury trials over video teleconference, but in-person proceedings are simply not worth putting jurors at risk, and many potential jurors could likely be excused because of COVID-19 anyway.
"It will not be reasonably possible to summon a pool of potential jurors and conduct a jury trial in a manner that does not expose potential jurors, counsel, court staff, and litigants to substantial and unacceptable health risks, specifically, the danger of becoming infected with COVID-19," the order said.
The delay of criminal trials because of COVID-19 will be exempt from the Speedy Trial Act, Judge Magnus-Stinson ruled, saying that a delay in court proceedings "serves the ends of justice, and such action outweighs the best interest of the public and the defendant to a speedy trial."
Indiana's Northern District also ruled to suspend in-person jury trials in November, but only until the end of January.
The Northern District also issued an order extending the use of video and teleconferencing in criminal procedures from the end of December to the end of March.
The order comes as districts across the country grapple with whether to close in-person trials again as COVID-19 rages through the U.S.
All three California federal districts canceled most of their in-person hearings, except for certain criminal duty hearings last week. And the Southern District of California suspended all jury and bench trials until Jan. 11.
The Southern District of New York also closed all of its courthouses to the public until at least mid-January because of the health risks of COVID-19.
--Editing by Amy Rowe.
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