Photos: 11 people are now facing murder trials in Baxter County Circuit Court. Pictured are: (top row, from left) Ryan James Lindsey; Allison Cunningham, Skyler Brazil, Ashley Hendricks, James Tyler Davis; Jeffery Shepherd, (bottom row) Savannah Wren, Baxter Stowers, Amber Runau, Jonathan Mauldin and Robert Dean Penny.
There will be no jury trials in Arkansas until May 1, according to a ruling issued Friday by the Arkansas Supreme Court.
The action to extend the prohibition of jury trials was taken due “to a continued high level of COVID-19 positive tests and hospitalizations,” the court’s order noted.
Through the continuing course of the pandemic, the state’s highest court has scheduled various times for jury trials to resume but pushed the dates back because infection and hospitalization numbers continued to track upward.