Politics & Government
Jury Trials Temporarily Halted In Cobb Due To COVID Case Spike: Judge
Pausing Cobb County jury trials through late January will not affect Grand Jury proceedings, Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard said.
COBB COUNTY, GA — With COVID-19 cases rising in Cobb County and throughout metro Atlanta, Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard issued a directive Monday pausing jury trials for the next three weeks.
Trial jurors are canceled through Jan. 21, according to the directive. The pause in operations could be extended or resumed in the coming weeks, Leonard said. Cobb State Court Chief Judge Carl Bowers will follow suit, but the pause will not affect Grand Jury proceedings.
"I will continue to consult with our stakeholders and the department of public health and re-evaluate things in the weeks ahead," Leonard said. "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."
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According to the most recent Georgia Department of Public Health data, Cobb County has a 14-day case rate of 1,505 cases per 100,000 county residents as of Dec. 31 — more than twice the 14-day case rate on Dec. 24 at 628 cases per 100,000 county residents, recorded just a week earlier.
The state DPH was not able to update its COVID-19 daily status report Monday due to "a large amount of data overwhelming the system," health officials said.
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The decision to pause jury trials comes less than two weeks after Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid signed a COVID-19 declaration of emergency Dec. 22, set to expire at midnight Jan. 22 unless extended, amended or rescinded, due to rising cases. It was signed concurrently with a mask mandate from County Manager Jackie McMorris, requiring masks in all county government buildings.
"I appreciate your patience as we try to work through the challenges that COVID continues to throw at us," Leonard said.
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