LOCAL

Ingham County circuit, probate courts halt jury trials after COVID-19 cases spike

Ken Palmer
Lansing State Journal
Plexiglass barriers have been set up in Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtoom, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, prior to the county's first jury trial since the pandemic began.

LANSING – Two Ingham County courts are suspending jury trials until at least November because of a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

Tuesday's order by the county's chief circuit and probate judge came a few days after the State Court Administrative Office issued revised guidelines on conducting trials based on the number of new novel coronavirus cases and percentage of positive tests, court officials said in a news release.

Judge Richard Garcia said Ingham County's numbers now exceed the benchmark levels set down by the SCAO for safely conducting trials.

Ingham County courts closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hearings initially were held remotely, but more in-person hearings were held as restrictions were eased.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina conducted a jury trial in late July as part of a pilot program with the state Supreme Court to explore how jury trials can be conducted remotely.

Since then, Judge Clinton Canady III has conducted two jury trials, a court official said.

In its order last week, the SCAO said courts could consider conducting jury trials if the county had a seven-day average of fewer than 70 coronavirus cases per million a day and a positive test rate of less than 10%, Ingham County court officials said.

As of Sunday, Ingham County had a seven-day average of 74 cases per million, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. 

 Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.