Jury service during Covid

Jury service during Covid

Oneida county court, after a six - month 'hiatus', due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The experience will be different....designed to keep jurors safe and healthy.

Newschannel 2's joleen ferris tells you what you can expect if you get that summons.

Stand up .

None the brand new, covid-resistant experience for grand and trial jurors starts before they even enter the building.

They haven't used this elizabeth street side of the courthouse for several years.

They are now, for jurors only, and they put up new signage to direct them toward it.

As jurors walk up to the oneida county courthouse, they'll see social distance markers outside.

Before they even enter the building at the new entrance that's just for them, they'll have their temperature taken by a deputy.

On the elevator, covid safety tips, and, self cleaning buttons and only 2 people at a time.

Plentiful precautions before they even enter the courtroom 2:27:34 "we had health officials come in and they made recommendations to us.

We looked at the governor's guidelines, the administrative judge, jim murphy came down and he looked over everything" jury selection will be challenging for court staff, but not much different for prosepctive jurors; there will just be far fewer of them in the room.

1:59:10 "it's cut in about a quarter.

We have about 30 something seats in here, social distancing" 1:59:29 "generally speaking we always set it up for 85-90.

On a large trial we would be able to get over 100 in here" once trial begins, inside the fifth- floor courtroom, what used to be the public gallery is now split between those observers on the left and jurors, on the right.

They're separated by a divider.

The rest of the jurors will sit in the traditional jury box.

Everyone will be wearing masks ....except trial witnesses 2:29:19 "they kind of made a determination that witnesses would not be able to mask because it would make it tough on the jurors to determine credibility so we've had to move to face shields" juror have to bring their own resealable drinks, and masks.

The court will provide plenty of hand sanitizer...and distance 2:28:16 'we will take every precaution from the time they walk into this courthouse to the time that they're done with their jury service that they are safe during the entire procedure" first trial, a drug trial, is monday.

Jf, nc2.

> time for a first look at the forecast in this half hour.

Here's chief meteorologist bill kardas... hi there.

Tonight: mostly clear.

Low 43 wednesday morning: sunny and hazy.

Mid 50s.

Wednesday afternoon: sunny, time for a first look at the forect