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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAll jury trials have been halted in St. Joseph County as the COVID-19 virus continues to spread and the positivity rate tops 15%.
An order issued jointly Dec. 2 by the St. Joseph Circuit Judge John Broden and Superior Court Chief Judge Elizabeth Hurley stopped all jury trials because of the public health risk posed by the increased transmission of the coronavirus. Data from the Indiana State Department of Health shows St. Joseph County has a positivity rate of 15.1% and 272 deaths as of Wednesday.
All criminal jury trials are continued and will be reset after Jan. 15, 2021, the order stated. Also, all civil jury trials are continued and will be reset after Feb. 28, 2021, although that date is subject to further review.
The order did make one exception to allow the trials against Kevin Rieder scheduled for Dec. 7 and 9 to proceed, according to a footnote in the order.
In State v. Kevin Rieder, 71D03-1710-F5-000201, the defendant was charged with four counts of intimidating a judge, a bailiff or a prosecutor, a Level 5 felony. In State v. Kevin Rieder, 71D03-1707-F6-000658, the defendant was charged with one count each of intimidation where the threat is to commit a forcible felony and intimidation where the threat is to a certain type of people, both Level 6 felonies.
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