The chief judge of Cobb Superior Court has ordered that jury trials to be paused for three weeks due to a sharp increase in COVID-19 transmission.
Judge Robert Leonard on Monday said the delays will go through Jan. 21, which coincides with the day before the end of an emergency declaration issued by Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.
The courts have operated under separate orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Leonard said that “I did not make this decision lightly. We must keep in mind that jury service compels people of all walks of life, with all health conditions and vaccination status to attend court. Additionally, the likelihood of successfully getting through a lengthy jury trial when our community spread is at this record level is slim.”
The delay will not affect grand jury proceedings, according to a statement issued late Monday by Cobb County government.
Cobb State Court, which hears misdemeanor cases, also will be following suit with a jury trial delay, according to the county statement.
In addition, Cobb Juvenile Court has imposed some changes to its operations that continue through Feb. 4.
Leonard’s order was issued on the first working day of 2022, after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, which have been marked by a rapid spike in COVID-19 cases.
Cobb and Douglas Public Health is reporting that the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 in Cobb is 1,975, far above the “high” transmission threshold of 100.
As of Friday, that figure was at 1,505, and those figures represent the highest transmission levels in Cobb since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
The Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools are returning to classes Wednesday for the start of the spring semester on an in-person basis, as other metro Atlanta school districts are going remote for this week.
In his order, Leonard said that “I will continue to consult with our stakeholders and the department of public health and re-evaluate things in the weeks ahead. I will continue to strive to take a measured approach and may extend this pause in jury operations or resume it as appropriate.”
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