With the announcement by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton in the first week of 2021 that the state’s Judicial Emergency has been extended a 10th time and reinstating a prohibition on jury trials in cases that are not already in progress, judges and courts continue to face mounting backlogs of civil and criminal cases.

Some circuits have been able to restart grand juries to varying degrees, often after making substantial changes to facilities or seeking new locations to keep participants safe.