Massachusetts jury trials to begin on Monday after long layoff

Due to COVID-19 and the expectation of rising infections during the holiday period, the Supreme Judicial Court and the Trial Court had postponed the resumption of jury trials.

Phase 1 of the plan previously approved in the SJC order of September 17, 2020, and was scheduled to begin the week of November 30, 2020, will now begin on Monday.

Phase 1 calls for initially conducting a limited number of jury trials, with six-person juries, in a designated number of courthouses, which is expected to last for two months. The Trial Court has apparently completed preparations for Phase 1 over the last several weeks so that the required comprehensive protocols that address the health and safety of jurors and other trial participants will be in place in all courthouses that are identified for Phase 1 jury trials.

Court leaders continue to seek to balance the critical right to trial by jury with health and safety concerns of trial participants.