Legal experts said Monday the plaintiffs who filed a federal lawsuit against Chief Court Administrator Patrick Carroll III over the alleged preference given civil cases over criminal cases during the current health pandemic have a great shot at winning their case.

“The plaintiffs have a real decent case here. The key will be the explanation the Judicial Branch offers. It will have to be a real good explanation because there are constitutional rights at stake,” said Quinnipiac University School of Law professor John Thomas. “I don’t know of any other states that are treating civil cases more liberally than criminal cases. It should be the other way around because there is a constitutional right to a speedy trial.”