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April 30, 2021
The Berrien County Trial Court has suspended jury trials through June. The court has released the following:
The Berrien County Trial Court has made the determination to temporarily suspend jury trials. This suspension is effective Monday May 3, 2021 with jury trials expected to resume June 1, 2021. Individuals summoned for jury service through May 28
th are not expected to report for service. Jurors scheduled to serve the week of May 31
st and forward are still required to contact the jury hotline during their scheduled week of service. The court will remain in Phase Three of the Michigan Supreme Court’s Return to Full Capacity Guide and all other aspects of Phase Three (such as the ability to pay a traffic ticket or submit filings in-person) remain in effect.
Allegan and Ottawa County courts have suspended jury trials as COVID-19 case numbers in West Michigan continue to rise.
The Michigan Supreme Court s orders for conducting jury trials require the courts to meet certain public health criteria in order to hold jury trials. To be able to hold jury trials, the county must have a seven-day average of less than 70 COVID-19 cases per million per day and less than 10 percent positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.
The courts must work with the county health department to determine whether it would pose an excessive risk to public health to hold a trial. Jury trials are of particular concern because of the number of people that must be gathered, in-person, for jury selection, to sit as jurors throughout the trial and to deliberate on a verdict.