The lack of any plan to return to jury trials since the COVID court shutdown has adversely impacted the rights of Connecticut’s citizens. Stated plainly, some civil litigants and insurance companies have openly and brazenly taken advantage of the closure of our courts to engage in bad faith settlement tactics, refusing to even consider making any reasonable settlement offers in even clear liability cases.
But, in the wake of recent concern expressed over Connecticut’s lack of a plan to return jury to jury trials, Connecticut Chief Justice, Richard A. Robinson, has just announced that Connecticut will resume jury trials in November and will summon potential jurors for these trials beginning in September.
Chief Justice Robinson wrote:
“[O]ur system of justice cannot live up to its constitutional mandates of providing fairness and justice without a jury trial system in place. Jury trials are the backbone of our system of justice.”
The Chief Justice also suggested that Connecticut will also leave open the possibility of virtual jury trials, given the COVID-19 environment.
Chief Justice Robinson reminded us that, “jury trials allow a democracy to breathe, live and thrive,” and concluded:
“Pandemic or not, we need civic-minded citizens to step forward and perform the critical public duty of serving on a jury — even more so during these difficult times.”
Well said, well done and not a minute too soon.
