ATLANTA — You could soon be called for jury duty again. Georgia’s Chief Supreme Court Justice will sign an order Saturday that clears the way for juries to meet and sets the stage for trials to resume soon.
“It can be something that can definitely be done,” says Cobb County resident Steven Caruso.
He is optimistic for jury trials to pick back up again in Georgia, but others are not so sure it is a good idea during a pandemic.
“As a single mom with three kids, there is no way I want to take that risk to participate in my civic duty,” says Summer Boyette.
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton says there are strict plans to keep people safe.
“Beginning with where you park, to how you enter the building for security checks to make sure there is distancing and temperature screenings,” he says.
That is not where the safety measures stop.
“Even on top of that, the scheduling of the trials and proceedings will be manned so that the foot traffic will be manageable and limited so that we can create social distancing,” says Melton.
While the courts are gearing up, attorneys are too. Cobb County criminal defense attorney Robert Hyden says he’s expecting a major backlog of cases.
“It is going to burden the state, it is going to burden the defense. Everyone is going to be under a lot of pressure to move cases,” says Hyden.
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That backlog is what Melton says is one of the driving factors in getting jury trials back on the books.
“We do not have a choice as to waiting any longer. We have had seven, almost going on our eighth month of jury trials being on hold,” says Melton.
Another concern? How prospective jurors will feel about serving during a pandemic.
“Especially if you get a mother that is in a jury pool, she is going to be concerned about what she is taking home to her children, a father is going to be concerned what is taking home to his children or his wife,” says Hyden.
Chief Justice Melton says the court will be sensitive to jurors if they have medical issues or even of they have to care for a loved one. But he stresses the importance of serving on a jury.
“We have done everything we can to make sure that you will be provided safe entrance and safe service,” he says.
Due to the time it takes to summon potential jurors, trials are not expected to resume until a month or longer after process begins.
When you get your summons in the mail, be sure to look it over too. It will have a lot of new information about the safety protocols you will want to read.