CRIMINALS MAY ROAM FREE WHILE COURTROOMS STAY EMPTY
The Alaska Court System, which hasn’t held a jury trial since March 16, has just extended that moratorium on justice until Sept. 1, by order of Chief Justice Joel Bolger.
Due to the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Alaska, which the Chief Justice calls “high,” justice will be delayed for at least six months. Once jury trials start again, there will be a large backlog, which means many trials will be further delayed by months.
Bolger said that jury rooms just aren’t safe because they don’t allow for needed physical distancing for the parties, attorneys, court personnel, and a standard jury panel.
“The court administration needs additional time to devise procedures that will allow jury trials to proceed safely. And most courtrooms do not have adequate space to safely accommodate a public audience or a large jury selection assembly,” Bolger wrote.
The action effectively puts many conditions of the soft-on-crime SB-91 conditions back into effect, allowing criminals to roam free for months while they await trial.
SB-91 was unwound by the Legislature last year after it became associated with a statewide crime spree.
The Supreme Court has, through Bolger’s order, created a condition where Alaskans may once again be victimized by criminals on the loose.
“When the suspension is lifted, the time for trial will continue to be tolled for the time necessary to permit an orderly transition and scheduling,” Bolger wrote. In layman’s terms, that means there will be further delays.
When trials resume, the public may be required to participate by teleconference, videoconference, or video feed. Those allowed in the courtrooms will be required to adhere to “social distancing, face coverings, and other health requirements imposed by government health mandates, presiding judge orders, and administrative bulletins.”
“Also to promote social distancing, court administration and trial judges may impose limits on jury panel qualification, assembly, and selection procedures. Jury questionnaires may be expanded to identify qualification and hardship issues and to expedite the exercise of juror challenges,” Bolger wrote.
