Judiciary Postpones Jury Trials Until October

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald has ordered that jury trials across the state be postponed through Oct. 4, 2021. This order was issued in response to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the community. 

“We very much appreciate the commitment of the public to support the administration of justice throughout the pandemic, especially those who have responded to a summons for jury duty and served as a juror,” said the Chief Justice. “However, with the record numbers of positive cases and rapidly increasing hospitalizations being reported in our community, we believe it’s prudent to take additional precautions to reduce the number of people congregating in Judiciary facilities to protect court users and our staff.” 

The Judiciary said it implemented detailed plans to promote the health and safety of jurors, court staff, attorneys, litigants, and all involved since the resumption of jury trials last November. Those plans were reviewed by the Hawai´i Department of Health and included health screening, temperature checks, reconfigured courtrooms to ensure social distancing, plexiglass barriers, and providing hand sanitizer, masks and face shields. 

The order issued on Monday, Aug. 16 includes civil, criminal, and family court proceedings, but affects only jury trials. All other court proceedings, many of which are conducted remotely by Zoom, will be held as scheduled.