PLYMOUTH Civil and criminal jury trials are set to begin again this week after a months-long pause dating back to March, at the beginning of the pandemic crisis.
Trials will be limited to nine courthouses across the state, including the combined district and superior court building in Plymouth, and consist of smaller, six-member juries. The courthouses, chosen for ventilation and spacing reasons, will hold civil and criminal trials with relatively minor charges to start out, as laid out in a plan from the Trial Court s Jury Management Advisory Committee over the summer.
Courts have implemented safety protocols and distancing measures to try and cut down on health risks amid the pandemic. Monday starts Trial Courts Phase One of jury trial resumption and is expected to last about two months, depending on health conditions.