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Criminal Jury Trials Start Next Week in Orlando, Florida

There was an Orlando Sentinel Article on October 18, 2020 by Monivette Cordeiro on the restart of criminal jury trials in Orlando, Florida. Juries will return to court next week in Orlando, Orange County and Osceola County. Florida to resume criminal jury trials after seven months of no jury trials due to COVID-19. There will be smaller jury pools, clear face masks, and hand sanitizer. 

The Chief Judge Donald Myers told the Orlando Sentinel that the circuit decided to restart criminal jury trials again after a decline in local COVID 19 infections. Jurors will reconvene for jury trials on October 23, 2020. A Grand Jury will be convened on October 22, 2020.

Local lawyers have differing views on the restart of criminal jury trials. Some lawyers are concerned about how restarting trials now will affect the makeup of juries as well as their own health and safety and the health and safety of their clients, some of whom are jail inmates. The Chief Judge Donald Myers said the lawyers can communicate their concerns to the judge on the case. 

About 60 jurors will convene next week at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida. The jurors will need to pass a health screening and temperature check at the door. Once inside the courthouse, jurors will go to a room that normally holds 350 perspective jurors. Then, a panel of 25 to 30 jurors will be sent to a socially distanced courtroom.  

Judge Myers said jurors will be asked to stay home and isolate if they are having symptoms or have come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Jurors can also be excused from justly duty or have their service postponed for other reasons associated with COVID-19, such as being at high risk for severe illness, being the only available care provider for a child or relative, returning to work after being unemployed, or having suffered financial or personal loss, according to rules issued by the Florida Supreme Court.  

You can read more about the criminal jury trial procedures on the Orange County Court website where there are many Administrative Court Orders regarding COVID-19 and its effect on courthouse procedures. 

If you have more questions regarding a Marital and Family Law matter, a Guardianship Law matter, or a Probate matter, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. You may also visit my website at https//:www.AnnMarieGildenLaw.com and check me out on these other sites: Ann Marie Giordano Gilden on Facebook; Ann Marie (Giordano) Gilden on LinkedIn; and Ann Marie Giordano Gilden on AVVO and Lawyers.com. 

This article is for informational purposes only; it does not form an attorney client privilege.