Chief Judge Provides Update on NYC Civil Jury Trials
On Monday, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore issued a statement on the latest developments affecting jury trials in New York City.[1]
As of this week, there are five trials scheduled in Kings County, four in Richmond County, and two in Bronx County. Next week, there will be two civil jury trials scheduled to begin in both New York County and Queens County.
Judge DiFiore explained that “we are fully committed to functioning as normally as possible in order to carry out our mission of delivering justice and upholding the rule of law.”
The Chief Judge also stated that the courts are confident in their ability to safely resume in-person trials based on the ongoing jury pilot experience outside of New York City. This jury pilot program led to the successful completion of twenty-four civil and criminal jury trials, with another twenty-two in progress or to be scheduled shortly.
Chief Judge DiFiore also reiterated that the courts are moving ahead cautiously, monitoring COVID metrics closely, and “prepared to pivot quickly and make all appropriate adjustments in response to public health developments and guidance.”
By Danielle C. Quinn and Muhammad U. Faridi
[1] October 19: Message from Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, New York State Unified Court System, http://www.nycourts.gov/whatsnew/pdf/October19-CJ-Message.pdf
