1st jury trail held after 15 months suspension

ELLIS COUNTY – Ellis County courts are getting back to normalcy again after 15 months, and the first trial jury was held May 20 in the 40th District Court of Texas.

Courts have been suspended since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when the Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA) & the Texas Supreme Court stopped jury trials and postponed most cases to prevent further virus outbreaks. 

Now, as the State of Texas is opening back up, so follows the Ellis County’s district courts “implementing measures to honor the fundamental right to trial by jury,” according to a press release from Ellis County Todd Little’s office. 

Because jury trials were suspended by the state government during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than a year’s worth of civil and criminal cases were postponed for the 40th District Court as well as other district & county courts – including the cases of several Ellis County Jail inmates awaiting trial for over a year. Now, these cases will finally be heard. 

“We are certainly glad things are returning to normal,” said Judge Bob Carroll of the 40th District Court, “but more than that, we recognize the vital importance of trial by jury in the American judicial system – a bedrock Constitutional principle.”

In the beginning of the pandemic last year trial, courts across Texas initially attempted to convene juries virtually. The process proved unfeasible due to logistical and technological constraints, ultimately leading to the OCA & the Texas Supreme Court suspending jury trials. After a year of backlogged cases, however, the emergency suspension was allowed to expire. Ellis County’s district courts promptly initiated a new jury-selection process that incorporated a simple COVID-19 screening questionnaire.

Regarding jurors, the questionnaire allows prospective jurors to opt out of jury duty if they have recently experienced symptoms of COVID-19. However, prospective jurors are not permitted to opt out of jury duty simply due to discomfort over in-person trials. As of May 18th, face masks are no longer required in any Texas government facility, including courts. In Ellis County’s district courts, transparent face shields are still available to jurors who desire them.