Jury trials to resume once again at Waukegan courthouse
Jury trials at the Waukegan courthouse will resume March 1, Chief Judge Diane E. Winter announced Wednesday.
Jury trials were suspended in November because of a winter spike in COVID-19 cases. Jurors had returned to the courthouse on Sept. 2 under a COVID-19 safety plan devised by a task force made up of court and county health officials.
Winters said in her notice Wednesday the task force will continue to evaluate options that will safeguard due process while prioritizing safety.
The announcement means jury summons will once again be sent out to Lake County residents. Under the plan developed before the September reopening, those who are summoned for jury selection are allowed into the court tower, which is mostly empty since other court business is conducted via Zoom.
After a health screening, they are taken to a large room and assigned to chairs arranged at a safe distance. They will not be sitting in the jury box.
Chairs will be deep-cleaned every night under the plan.
The process is explained in a video published on the courthouse's YouTube page in August.