Circuit Court for Baltimore County Successfully Resumes Jury Trials

The Circuit Court for Baltimore County, the only court in the county authorized to conduct jury trials, has successfully resumed jury trials through a partnership with Baltimore County government.
 

Since April 26, 2021, the Circuit Court has heard nearly 50 criminal or civil cases with in-person juries.

“The Circuit Court is committed to resolving the backlog of cases from the pandemic,” Administrative Judge Ruth A. Jakubowski explained. “Our court has prioritized criminal cases to assure that defendants’ rights to a speedy trial are protected. We thank the Baltimore County Executive, Johnny Olszewski, for his commitment to providing our court with a suitable and safe venue for jury selection.”

Due to limited on-site space, the Circuit Court for Baltimore County required a large off-site location in order to safely select jurors for cases. To support the Circuit Court, County government secured space at the American Legion in Towson, which can safely hold over 150 socially distanced jurors in its banquet halls.

The new arrangement has been highly successful, as the Court has selected jurors for 25 criminal jury trials, including nine murder cases since April 26, 2021. Over the same four-week period, the Court has handled 22 civil matters, including six cases resolved by jury trial.

The Circuit Court Bench, at the direction of Administrative Judge Jakubowski, together with the Clerk of Court’s staff, Sheriff’s Department and the Assignment, Jury, and Digital Recording Offices of the Circuit Court meticulously planned the process, including pandemic safety precautions, in collaboration with the Baltimore County Office of Law, Office of Information Technology, Property Management, and other County departments. In addition, the Circuit Court worked in cooperation with the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Public Defender, and the lawyers involved in the cases to ensure the success of the new arrangement.

“None of these results would have been possible without the dedicated service of the citizen jurors of Baltimore County, who showed up at the remote location and sat as jurors on these important matters during a pandemic,” Judge Jakubowski added.”

The Circuit Court for Baltimore County will continue to hold in-person jury selection at the American Legion in Towson until further notice.