What To Know If You Receive A Jury Summons

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Photo by Milan Kovacevic

Above: The San Diego Superior Court is shown in this undated photo.

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Jury trials in San Diego are scheduled to begin again in October with safety measures in place. San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Lorna Alksne discusses how jury trials will work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aired: September 22, 2020 | Transcript

As we gradually discover ways we can live with the COVID-19 virus safely, some things which came to a grinding halt in the spring are beginning to start up again.

The virus slowed the wheels of justice when San Diego Superior Court shut down March 17. Since then some services have resumed online but no one has received a jury summons until this month. Jury trials are scheduled to begin again in October with safety measures in place.

People who have received a jury summons may wonder what the experience will be like under pandemic conditions. For some of them, this might be their first foray into a public space.

San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Lorna A. Alksne joined Midday Edition on Tuesday to explain what the court has done to make sure jurors stay safe.