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MONTPELIER â The courts are preparing to hold back-to-back jury trials in May after the jury trial restart in Windham County fell through last month. Officials have greenlighted eight courthouses to resume jury trials amid the pandemic, but they donât include those in Bennington County.
Windham County will get another shot at paving the way for the resumption of jury trials, with a jury draw set for May 17 in Brattleboro, according to Stateâs Attorney Tracy Shriver.
Three more counties have also scheduled jury selections next month: Windsor on May 20, Washington on May 24 and Rutland on May 26-28. The others that have gotten approval â Caledonia, Chittenden and Lamoille counties â will be up in June, said Vermont Chief Superior Judge Brian Grearson. But when â or where â the stateâs first jury trial in more than a year will happen is left to be seen. Court officials and the public defendersâ office were expecting to see jury trials restart March 24 through a Windham County criminal case. But the dozen or so shortlisted cases began dropping off for various reasons until there was none left to try by March 19, three days before the jury draw in Brattleboro.