Marion County courts plan to resume jury trials

Following a months-long hiatus, the largest county court system in Indiana will resume felony jury trials next week.

The Marion Superior Courts announced that major felony trials will resume Monday, while low-level felony, misdemeanor and civil jury trials will resume the week of Sept. 14.

Major felony trials requiring a larger jury pool will be held at the Marion Superior Court Traffic Court, 8115 E. Washington St., Indianapolis. Trials for low-level felonies, misdemeanors and civil cases will continue to be held at the downtown City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St. Jurors should pay close attention to their summonses for information about the correct location.

Jury summonses also include information about COVID-19 procedures, including:

• Assigned seating to allow for maximum social distancing.
• Required face coverings, which will be provided for jurors who do not have their own.
• Individual hand sanitizers and sanitizing stations available in court facilities.
• Deep cleaning of courtroom facilities.

Any prospective juror who has been diagnosed by a licensed physician as having the novel coronavirus in the last 30 days, who is caring for a loved one who has tested positive or who is in self-quarantine on the date they have been summoned should notify the jury pool coordinator.

“While the Court recognizes that jury service may cause an additional burden for those called to serve during this time, the Court asks all prospective jurors to understand that the right to trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our democracy,” the Indianapolis courts said in a news release. “The participation of prospective jurors is one of the most important civic duties required of our citizens.”

Courts across the state have been slowly resuming jury trials in recent weeks. The first COVID-era trial was held last month in Lake County. https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/web-exclusive-first-impressions-of-the-first-covid-era-jury-trial