Virtual Trial Protocols from the Civil Jury Project

Yesterday, the Civil Jury Project at NYU School of Law published its June 2020 Jury Matters newsletter.  This installment of the newsletter focused on virtual jury trial protocols that were created by a group of “trial lawyers, academics and judges.”  The protocols include:

1. 1. Protocols for Jury Selection in Videoconference Jury Trials 1.0

   2. Protocols for Virtual Trials: A Blueprint for Jury Trials

   3. Protocols for Jury Deliberations

   4. How the Zoom Platform can be of Greater Efficiency in Court Hearings and Trial (by Mitchell A. Chester)

According to Civil Jury Project Judicial Director Hon. Mark A. Drummond (ret.), the 17th Judicial Circuit in Florida has joined forces with the American Board of Trial Advocate’s Fort Lauderdale Chapter to model virtual trials. Their mock virtual jury zoom trials may be viewed on the court’s website.  Similarly, the National Center for State Courts recently posted an online video regarding “How state courts are using innovative technologies and responsible health and safety practices to resume jury trials.”

Thanks in large part to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”

Photo by: Pierre Gui on Unsplash