For all of us who practice in the criminal legal system, this year has been one of immense challenges as we sought, in a virtual world, to provide access to justice for both the accused and the victims of crime.

The backlog in the criminal courts has grown to levels that were unacceptable pre-pandemic. This was caused by the inability to conduct more than a handful of jury trials coupled with long overdue changes in criminal discovery. Thousands of accused individuals remain in custody awaiting trial for very long times. Who has not heard of the crisis on Rikers Island and the deplorable conditions faced by those incarcerated? The court system must erase this backlog by prioritizing trials for those in custody rather than the crimes alleged.