Texas embraces a virtual jury trial amid coronavirus concerns

Judge Emily Miskel

According to the National Center for State Courts, 39 states and the District of Columbia have encouraged judges to conduct hearings remotely, but bringing in jurors poses another challenge. Arizona’s top court has already approved remote jury selection, and once jury trials resume in Indiana, parties in civil cases will have the option to conduct them remotely, Reuters says.

There are some obvious concerns to address before this becomes the norm. For starters, Zoom has been plagued by security issues, and it may be extra hard to keep remote jurors focused or prevent them from doing research during a trial. At the very least, this could pave the way for virtual jury selection so that people only have to show up in person if they are indeed selected.

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