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.
Sounds like this guy knows about as much about science as he does the law; not much. Where do we find these chuckleheads?
The ACLU…………American Communist Liberation Union……………….finds them for us.
I wonder how many cases will be dismissed due to the suspension of the defendants 6th Amendment rights to a speedy trial? I wonder how many people knew that there was a right to a speedy trial?
Not dismissed but rather pled out to avoid a sentence by trial.
Guess that means all those “justices”, judges, magistrates, all court ’employees’ and, of course, lawyers, won’t be getting paid. Isn’t that right? Take time off, you don’t get paid. That’s how it works for you and me. Not for these “elites”. I read a financial article that said the only Americans who haven’t been negatively affected by the Wuhan v are “Public Employees and Wall Street Grifters”. What about ‘Wall Street’? It seems they can do whatever they want, too. If they screw up, they get bailed out by Jane and Joe taxpayer, courtesy of the feds. No matter what, they keep the public ‘gravy train’ huffing and puffing, filling those public “employees'” bank accounts, furnishing “Cadillac” health insurance and “Rolls Royce” retirement programs from the public trough. No rest for the wicked, they say? Looks like there is, to me. How about the police? Are they on summer respite too? What do the cops think about this? I’ll bet I know what the criminals think. Yahoo.
More to remember–in November.
Nope. Working from home or the office offering plea deals.
Right to a speedy trial has been trumped by the emergency. But I am sure that defendants do now have considerably more bargaining power that will result in them being
given home confinement rather than incarceration. And I mean Defendants that have committed serious violent felonies. And once the trials are permitted there will be a serious backlog that will result in great plea bargain deals favoring the accused.
It’s a good time to be a defendant charged with a crime in Alaska.
You are correct.
The emergency is over. This is ridiculous. When September comes rolling along, so does traditional flu season. Chances of court rooms with Jury’s then according to this is a pipe dream. I still believe this is an overreach. Masks are not going to save you. Neither is social distancing. Herd immunity is the only way to strengthen our bodies. Like we have done for more years than I care to mention. Right to a speedy trial? Yet another right the people have lost due to this Plandemic.. How many more are we going to lay back and accept being taken? Personally, I’m done with the whole thing.
Stop paying public employees ( including Judges ) who aren’t working because of the Covid 19 panic and watch how fast this BS ends!
You are so right
Not sure what you think they are not doing. Check your sources.
Let’s look at the bright side.
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The Great Alaska LeDoux Vote Experiment can continue undisturbed, maybe even vindicated, because the heroine was denied her Sixth Amendment right to a public trial without unnecessary delay.
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China flu doesn’t seem like a necessary reason for delay when one considers the related, communicable diseases that historically plodded through Anchorage without officials bringing society and commerce to a halt.
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Probably only a matter of time before productive residents and business owners decide (a) no mas… Americans don’t do Masked Avenger impersonations except to trick or treat or rob 7/11’s and
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(b) they want jury trials when Peoples Health Commissariat enforcers gang up on them…
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That and believers in jury-nullification could pack a court calendar so even the most retention conscious, “activist” judges notice.
Cases are being served. Nobody is doing without justice and due process. Back in the closet with you and your thermos full of extra sweet koolaid.
This judge is infringing on our constitutional rights, which is grounds for immediate forfeiture of his seat.
This is not allowed even during an emergency. United States Attorney General Bill Barr stated “The government will be standing with American’s who feel their constitutional rights are being violated by overzealous politicians”. Now that Ethan Berkowitz seems to be on board, time to sue.
Also, how many COVID-19 cases are from the 12,000 refugees Ethan imported? They get housing, Quest cards for food, Medicaid, translators. Ethan signed us up for this. You should see what a tourist wrote about Anchorage being the best city for these refugees.
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