On Dec. 3 Brady Daniel Zipoy, who has been held in Scott County Jail since June 8 on a second-degree murder charge, sat in a jailhouse conference room with handcuffed hands resting on the table in front of him. Unlike pre-pandemic hearings, 24-year-old Zipoy, his attorneys, Scott County Judge Paula D. Vraa and state prosecutors appeared on rectangles on a computer screen instead of in a courtroom.
Like most things in the pandemic world, hearings at courthouses across the state look far different than they used to.
On Nov. 30, the Minnesota Supreme Court placed a two-month moratorium on criminal jury trials and ordered all court hearings to be held remotely.
This spring came with a surge in both firearm prices and permit requests. That hasnât slowed down much, according to area gun dealers and law enforcement officials.
In both Carver and Scott counties, firearm permit-to-carry demand continues to be steady. (Data does not include permit-to-purchase requests, some of which are handled separately by local police departments.)
In Scott County, carry permits averaged at 241 per month, steadily increasing each month from April to October. October saw 444 carry permits, and through Nov. 12, monthly permits were at 345, according to Sheryl Schmitt, administrative services supervisor with the Scott County Sheriffâs Office.
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