The Michigan Supreme Court recently announced that all jury trials will be delayed through June 22 due to COVID-19.
The State Administrative Office will begin conducting pilot projects to test jury procedures that would enable appropriate social-distancing measures while protecting an individual’s constitutional and statutory rights at the same time.
“To our knowledge, no judge in the country has ever presided over a remote jury trial, and these pilots will help us define what 'remote jury trial' means in practice,” state court administrator Tom Boyd wrote in a memo to Michigan judges, according to The Detroit News.
The Ionia Sentinel-Standard reports that courts have reduced their operations since March 16, after businesses started shutting down and people began working remotely. Family court is being held on an as-needed basis, and there have been virtual criminal hearings for people who are in custody.
Under the administrative order postponing jury trials until after June 22, individual courts have the authority to hold jury trials at an even later date if deemed necessary.
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