Ingham County courts postpone jury trials until December due to COVID-19 case counts

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 — Ingham County probate and circuit courts have delayed jury trials for another month.

Trials will not be held until at least Dec. 1, Ingham County Chief Circuit and Probate Court Judge Richard Garcia said Friday.

Since March, the circuit court has held three jury trials, Circuit Court Administrator George Strander said. The first was held July 28.

The Michigan Supreme Court has urged courts to not conduct jury trials unless there is a seven-day average of fewer than 70 COVID-19 cases per million per day in the county, or if there have been fewer than 20 new cases per day over the last seven days.

Ingham County continues to exceed the minimum standards needed to hold jury trials.

From Oct. 17 to Oct. 23, Ingham County had three days with fewer than 20 new cases.

Eaton and Clinton county also have suspended jury trials amid the pandemic.

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.