WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The chief justice of Delaware’s Supreme Court says jury trials and additional in-person court proceedings could return to state courts in June if current COVID-19 trends continue.
In a statement Friday to judicial officers, employees and members of the Delaware Bar Association, Chief Justice Collins Seitz Jr. said the latest trends are encouraging, with the rate of positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths all down significantly from the peak in January.
The Delaware State News reports that Seitz also said vaccination clinics are planned for the judiciary and its justice partners.
Seitz said he anticipates the state moving to Phase 3 of the courts’ reopening plan, assuming “the downward trend in COVID-19 cases continues, and the vaccine becomes more widely available as promised.”
In Phase 3, the courts will maintain current health safety precautions, including COVID-19 screening and temperature checks at the entrances to court facilities, as well as mask requirements and social distancing.
He said due to the backlog of criminal cases, they will be given top priority during Phase 3.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.