FLORIDA KEYS, June 9, 2020 – Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady on June 8 extended the current suspension of state jury proceedings including grand juries, jury selection, and criminal and civil jury trials through July 17.
He also issued an amended order that governs an ongoing remote civil jury trial pilot program. It requires five trial-court circuits participating in the pilot program to report findings and recommendations by October 2. The purpose of the pilot program is to establish the framework and identify the logistics of trying a case remotely. Monroe County (16th Judicial Circuit) is not one of the five.
Because of the complex constitutional and due process issues presented in criminal cases, the pilot program shall, at this time, be limited to civil cases. Additionally, the selection of case(s) by the five chosen circuits should be based upon the case being conducive to a remote proceeding, and all parties must consent to participate in the pilot program
The chief justice will review these and other COVID-19 orders as the pandemic emergency develops and will modify or extend them as needed due to changing conditions in the pandemic.
Statewide and local court emergency orders and advisories are available on the Florida Supreme Court’s website, https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/Emergency