All Idaho Supreme Court jury trials are suspended until January due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
In September, an order went into effect, outlining the trials' standards based on coronavirus case counts for when a trial is scheduled to be held. In an order issued Nov. 9, the Supreme Court states weekly moving average of cases has increased by 335% since Sept. 13.
COVID surge prompts Idaho Supreme Court to suspend Jury Trials until January 2021.
— Ada County (@Ada_County) November 10, 2020
Pursuant to the Order, no jury trials may commence prior to January 4, 2021. The Order was issued in response to the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases pic.twitter.com/wwqPUQAEbK
The order states:
In accordance with established law and rules of the Court, court administrators, judges, court clerks, jury commissioners, and lawyers must adhere to established time lines and other legal requirements in preparation for a given jury trial. In addition, all trial participants must invest many resources in preparation for a jury trial. In addition to the investment of court professionals, jurors and witnesses are summoned to court well in advance and must set aside time to appear and make arrangements to ensure appearance. Parties to a case must themselves prepare for trial. When a jury trial is cancelled, all those summoned to court must be notified of the cancellation and preparations are disrupted or must be made again at a future date.
