INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County judges issued an emergency order Thursday postponing all jury trials amid a surge of coronavirus cases.
Under the order, the superior and circuit court judges continued all scheduled trials until after Jan. 21, when court says it will “reevaluate the status of the pandemic.”
"The court… finds that all jury trials in Marion County should not occur at this time due to the increase transmission of the novel coronavirus and in order to protect public health and safety," the order states.
About 40 vaccinated and unvaccinated court staffers have tested positive for the virus in the last 72 hours, judges said. That means about 8% of the court's roughly 500 employees have to quarantine.
Marion County, the judges note, is in the high-risk category for Covid-19 transmission with a 35.5% positivity rate. The Indiana National Guard has been mobilized to assist hospitals throughout the state as health care workers are overwhelmed by an influx of patients battling the illness.
The judges this week issued another order mandating facial coverings and limiting courthouse capacity to 50%.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc.
