Jury trials on hold at KC courthouse

The resumption of jury trials in Jackson County’s downtown Kansas City courthouse is on hold after a court employee tested positive for COVID-19. 

The Jackson County Circuit Court had planned to resume jury trials on Oct. 5, following the Sept. 21 resumption of jury trials in the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse in Independence. 

On Sept. 25, however, Presiding Judge David M. Byrn ordered that the downtown courthouse operate at Phase One, in which no more than 10 people may gather in areas of the courthouse or in courtrooms. 

Under the Missouri Supreme Court’s operational directives, if a circuit court employee tests positive, the circuit must revert to either Phase Zero or One, which provide greater restrictions on in-person activity in courthouses. 

Additionally, courts are required to stay in each operational phase for at least two weeks before they can move to the next phase. Phase Three is the only phase in which jury trials may occur. Operations at the Independence Courthouse remain in Phase Three, allowing jury trials to continue there.  

The court has made a number of changes to allow for the return of jury trials, including spreading out jury selection over two days and increasing cleaning in the courthouse. 

Meanwhile, the St. Louis County Circuit Court has moved to Phase One after being in Phase Zero since late July due to employees testing positive for COVID-19. 

On Sept. 21, the court announced the change, stating that no new cases of COVID-19 had been reported among courthouse staff in the two weeks prior to the decision.

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