Some Michigan Counties Pause Jury Trials Due To COVID Surge

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GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — Jury trials have been paused in some western Michigan counties due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, court officials said Monday.

Chief Judge Mark Trusock said all jury trials in Kent County 17th Circuit Court in Grand Rapids, were on hold until March 7. Ottawa County Probate Court and the 20th Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Haven will not summon the public to courthouses to serve as jurors until at least Feb. 1, according to a statement released by the court.

Michigan health officials said last week that the state's record-high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations could peak in late January or early February, and they urged the public to take steps to help control the spread.

Ottawa County court officials said their decision was made in consultation with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. Circuit Court Administrator Susan Franklin said judges don't want to bring large numbers of people into the courthouses given the current rates of COVID transmission.

Courts across the U.S. have paused jury trials at various points during the pandemic. The highly contagious omicron variant has prompted additional pauses in recent days, including in Indiana's Marion and Lake counties, which are the state's largest and the second most-populous respectively.