Merced County Superior Court suspending jury trials to prevent coronavirus spread

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Merced County Superior Court officials this week said they are suspending scheduled jury trials — one of the measures the court is taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The changes will take effect Tuesday, March 24, although jury trials that are already ongoing will continue, the court said in a news release.

Other proceedings will continue in criminal, general civil, family, probate, juvenile delinquency and dependency courts.

“Due to the increasing risks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary to employ additional and significant measures to protect the health and safety of our community, including court personnel,” the release said.

The release stated while the changes may be an inconvenience, “the court’s overriding responsibility is to the health and safety of jurors, litigants, courthouse visitors, attorneys, justice partners and court staff.”

For those ongoing trials, sworn jurors may be asked to take health-appropriate measures like sitting outside the jury box to encourage appropriate social distancing, the release said.

A meeting was held Monday with attorneys, local law enforcement, court and county officials to talk about its steps to comply with Governor Gavin Newsom’s mandate to limit mass gatherings, while still protecting the rights of the public.

The gathering included members of Merced County Superior Court, the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, Public Defender’s Office, and Merced County Counsel, the release said.

At that time, the court had rolled back most jury trials eight weeks. The court has also set up a web page detailing their plan to prevent coronavirus from spreading. A link for the page can be found at www.mercedcourt.org.