JURY TRIALS STILL SUSPENDED

The Florida Supreme Court has extended the suspension of jury trials until July 2nd. The emergency order, issued Monday by Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady, increases the list of proceedings state courts will conduct by remote technology during the coronavirus pandemic. For first-degree murder cases, the order suspends until July 2 some requirements for in-person preliminary hearings and a requirement that defendants be automatically released from custody if prosecutors are unable to file charges within 40 days. Florida’s courts have been under emergency guidelines since March 13^th.