We have received many questions from individuals about how jury trials will be held during the COVID-19 pandemic. These inquiries have been received not just from parties to litigation, but also individuals who have been called for jury duty.
Yesterday afternoon, the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County released an administrative order that transitions jury selection to the Penn Stater. The judges in Centre County have previously stated that the Penn Stater allows for greater social distancing, as that facility has large ballrooms and similarly large venues. Once juries are selected, trials will be held in the main courtroom in Bellefonte, where there is plenty of room for a jury to spread out.
Our attorneys have been in court over the past months. Through those experiences, we have been impressed with the safety protocols at the courthouse, and we have felt comfortable, to the extent possible. We look forward to moving forward with these new procedures.
For those who are interested, a copy of the order is available here. The prior administrative orders relating to COVID are available at the Centre County Court Administration website.