Teresa D. Underwood
The Pima County Consolidated Justice Court has appointed Teresa D. Underwood as a court administrator, with responsibilities of overseeing the non-judicial operations of PCCJC.Â
Underwood previously served as Chief Executive/Clerk of Court of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio, where she oversaw the day-to-day administrative operations and non-judicial functions for the Howard M. Metzenbaum US Courthouse in Cleveland. Underwood joined the bankruptcy court as a Supervisor in 2003, was promoted to Operations Manager in 2004, and Chief of Staff in 2013. Finally, she became its Chief Executive in 2017.
âWeâre excited to have Ms. Underwood join us as PCCJC administrator,â said Pima County Presiding Judge Kyle Bryson. âShe brings a wealth of experience and will be a dynamic administrative leader for this important court.â
Jury trials resume in Pima County; differ from pre-pandemic
April 15, 2021
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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Jury trials have resumed at Pima County Superior Court, but they are different from the way they were before the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago.
Instead of sitting together in a jury box, jurors now sit throughout the courtroom behind plexiglass partitions.
The Arizona Daily Star reports that it’s one of several new measures aimed at allowing trials to happen safely.
Court officials say crime victims and their families now have separate viewing areas outside the courtroom to limit the number of people inside.
There is also a new questionnaire that allows potential jurors to raise COVID 19-based concerns.
Jury trials in Pima County suspended through March 31 Jury trial By Shaley Sanders | February 4, 2021 at 4:04 PM MST - Updated February 4 at 4:04 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Jury trials in Pima County Superior Court and all Pima County limited jurisdiction courts will be postponed through March 31.
Jury trials were originally on hold through the end of February, but Presiding Judge Kyle Bryson extended the administrative order due to COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths.
“Things are so fluid that things change not just day to day, but hour to hour,” Judge Bryon said.
Judge Bryson said he will continue to monitor the latest data and make additional changes if needed.
Backlog of cases builds as COVID-19 limits operations at Pima County Superior Court
Courthouse backlog By Shaley Sanders | February 4, 2021 at 7:16 PM MST - Updated February 4 at 7:16 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Jury trials in Pima County Superior Court and all Pima County limited jurisdiction courts are suspended through March 31.
Presiding Judge Kyle Bryson extended the administrative order on Thursday due to the COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths.
The court is juggling a need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while handling a growing backlog of cases.
“If you got arrested today and you wanted your day in court, you would not get a jury trial for at least two years,” said Pima County Public Defender Joel Feinman.
The way our justice system usually works, it relies on people talking to other people, in person, sometimes under oath.
For most of a year now, though, itâs been inadvisable at best, dangerous at worst, to get together and hash out our conflicts the normal way.
The police, the jail, the constables, the courts, the attorneys â theyâve all adapted on the fly, sometimes creatively and productively. They use Microsoft Teams, for example, for many court hearings. But the system isnât built for this and is starting to bend under pressure.
The details are as nitty-gritty as this: Pima Countyâs 10 constables, preparing for a possible January onslaught of evictions they have to carry out, say they donât have enough personal protective equipment. They often end up inside peopleâs homes, dealing with them face to face, with just a cloth face covering and maybe gloves.