TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time in six months, criminal jury trials resumed in Hillsborough County Monday.
Trials had been put on hold back in March when COVID-19 first started spreading, and there was another delay over the summer as the number of coronavirus cases in our area increased sharply.
So, for more than half a year criminal jury trials have been put on hold in Hillsborough County, keeping plaintiffs waiting for justice to be served and defendants sitting behind bars waiting for a delayed day in court.
“This is unprecedented,” Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said. “We need the system to move forward.”
Warren says about 100 people showed up for the first round of jury selection. Their temperatures were taken, and masks, social distancing and sanitizing are required, too.
“We’re trying to do it in an orderly, organized fashion, and efficient way,” Warren said. “But at the same time, we have to protect the health and safety of everybody coming into the courthouse.”
Attorneys say criminal trials need to be held in person so jurors can assess witness credibility, defendants can face their accusers and attorneys can select a fair and impartial panel.
In Hillsborough, the more than six-month delay has put them an estimated 180-200 trials behind.
Jury selection itself will also now be spread out throughout the week.
Rather than jamming hundreds of potential jurors into the courthouse on a Monday morning, jury selection will be broken up into groups: 7:30 a.m. and another group of 80-100 at 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Next week, the court plans to add a third group likely later in the afternoon.
“Well, I was just concerned about how they were going to practice the social distancing, especially with the COVID,” said prospective juror Johanna Mangiocco. “Since the courts were closed for so many months.”
“I felt safe the entire time,” said prospective juror Damon Lange. “And, I would just tell people everybody is looking out for you.”
If the number of COVID-19 cases spikes again in our area, Warren says it will be up to the chief judge to decide whether to delay trials again. That decision, he says, would be made after consulting with prosecutors, public defenders, the sheriff’s office and others.
Trials are being prioritized with input from prosecutors and the public defender’s office based upon the seriousness of charges and in some cases how long they’ve been waiting.
The first on Monday was the murder trial of Erin Robinson, for an alleged crime dating back to 2014.
In an early development, Judge Samantha Ward asked potential jurors to wear face shields rather than masks so attorneys could gauge their reactions during questioning.
“And so, that is the reason we relaxed of those procedures,” Ward said.
Warren hopes as more people see the precautions being taken, more will be willing to participate in what he calls an important civic duty.
“We’ve taken so many precautions here to protect people coming in, we want people to give it a chance to come in, see what we’re doing,” Warren said. “And, play that vital role in keeping our system moving forward.”
What other people are reading right now:
- How to watch the Rays play in the 2020 World Series
- Tropical Storm Epsilon forms in the Atlantic
- Welcome to 'Champa' Bay: Can the Rays, Bucs keep the streak going?
- NASA set to 'TAG' asteroid the size of the Empire State Building in historic mission
- Polls suggest Biden, Trump neck and neck in Florida
- What you need to know about the 6 constitutional amendments on Florida ballots
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter