County plans to resume jury trials amid backlog of cases

Jury trials will once again be held starting July 1, utilizing social distancing and other precautions, officials said Tuesday.

“It’s going to be a little bit of trial and error, but we’re going to do it,” Ozaukee County Circuit Court Judge Paul Malloy told Ozaukee County supervisors on the Public Safety Committee Tuesday.

Jurors will be spaced out in the courtroom and not confined to the jury box, he said.

“Nothing says they all have to be in the (jury) box,” Malloy said.

Since the coronavirus emergency began, courtrooms at the Ozaukee County Justice Center have been open to anyone who wants to attend a hearing, but the Supreme Court ordered that litigants must appear via phone or by video conferencing.

Many cases were put on hold, creating a “substantial backlog of cases in the system,” District Attorney Adam Gerol told the committee, emphasizing that there is not a backlog of charges being filed.

Staffing in the District Attorney’s and the Clerk of Courts offices at the Justice Center will increase in the coming days, although some will continue to work from home, Gerol and Clerk of Courts Mary Lou Mueller said.