Much has been written about the consequences on public health, the economy and society of the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have observed the damaging effects the pandemic has caused to democracy by eliminating future jury trials.
With the current struggles to find a vaccine that provides complete immunization, officials in the judicial branch are resolved it is highly likely there will be no jury trials until at least 2021. At least one presiding judge is issuing notices in cases scheduled for jury trial in 2020 that state “there will be no jury trials in Hartford in 2020.”
