INDIANAPOLIS — Jury trails are about to resume in Marion County, after more than five-months of inactivity due to the pandemic.
That means jury duty notices are being sent out. And for potential jurors, there are questions. What steps are being taken to keep jurors safe from COVID-19 while in a courtroom setting?
Some significant changes are taking place. Major felony case trials, some of which have been delayed for months, will not take place at the City-County Building downtown. Instead, the trials and jury selection will be held at Traffic Court, 8115 East Washington Street, starting August 24.
There's more room there to handle the large jury pools needed for major cases, making social distancing possible.
All lower felony, misdemeanor and civil trials will continue to be held at the City-County Building, 200 East Market Street, starting September 14.
If you receive a Marion County jury notice, be sure to pay attention to which of the two locations you are to report to. The jury summons includes information on what the courts are doing to keep jurors safe.
- Assigned seating to account for maximum social distancing.
- Required face coverings. For those who do not have their own, one will be provided.
- Individual hand sanitizers and hand sanitizer stations spread around the facilities.
- Deep cleaning of the courtrooms
Additionally, prospective jurors who have been diagnosed by a licensed physician as having coronavirus in the last 30-days, are actively caring for a family member or loved one who has tested positive for the virus, or are in self-quarantine status for the date they’ve been summonsed are asked to notify the jury pool coordinator regarding their service.
According to a statement from the Marion County courts, the courts recognize that jury service may cause an additional burden for those called to serve during this time, but the courts want prospective jurors to understand that the right to trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our democracy.
