Criminal Trials Over Zoom? “How Does this Affect My Case?”

Trials generally require a physical courtroom; 6-12 jurors; in-person testimony. Generally they can’t be accomplished with a lot of social distancing, especially in smaller courtrooms with multiple personnel present (prosecutor, defense attorney, accused, jurors, witnesses, and court staff).  As a result, courts have been struggling with what to do about criminal trials.  

Interested in finding out more? How could this affect your case? Read about how criminal trials are being handled during the pandemic on our website.

Can I Still Have a Criminal Trial During a Pandemic?

Courts in Washtenaw County and throughout Southeastern Michigan had to reinvent themselves and figure out how to handle busy criminal dockets despite a health pandemic and various governmental shutdowns. Courts couldn’t simply cancel criminal dockets and wait 6 months to resolve cases; way too much is at stake for public safety, for crime victims, and for the accused. Most courts have gone to a Zoom system where most criminal appearances are handled remotely.  

Learn more on how these changes could affect your case.