Vt. Memo to the Bar, July 29, 2020

SUPREME COURT OF VERMONT

OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR

PATRICIA GABEL, ESQ. Mailing Address

State Court Administrator Office of the Court Administrator

patricia.gabel@vermont.gov 109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05609-0701

www.vermontjudiciary.org

TO: Members of the Vermont Bar

FROM: Patricia Gabel, Esq., State Court Administrator

RE: Report on Resumption of Criminal Jury Trials

DATE: July 29, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

In late May, the Vermont Supreme Court established a Jury Restart Committee and named

Associate Justices Karen Carroll and Harold Eaton as its co-chairs. The Committee was asked to

consider issues relating to the resumption of criminal jury trials, which were suspended by the

Supreme Court in its mid-March Declaration of a Judicial Emergency due to COVID-19. In

addition to the co-chairs, the committee included two superior judges, a court operations

manager, a state’s attorney, a public defender, and a representative from the Vermont Bar

Association.

The committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court on July 21. The report includes 28

recommendations regarding the resumption of criminal jury trials. These recommendations

address a range of operational issues associated with restarting jury activity, including those

relating to community safety and public health. The report does not address the resumption of

civil jury trials.

The Supreme Court has asked Chief Superior Judge Brian Grearson and me to review the

Committee’s report and provide the Court with an implementation plan based on its

recommendations. The implementation plan will be posted to the COVID-19 and Court

Operations webpage once this plan has been adopted.

Thank you.

Pat