Jury trials in Riverside County suspended until Jan. 28

Jury trials in Riverside County have been temporarily suspended due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases brought about by the Omicron variant, officials announced on Wednesday.

All civil and criminal jury trials have been suspended until January 28, 2022.

"In light of the ease of transmission of the Omicron variant, conducting jury trials would unduly endanger court personnel, litigants, attorneys, jurors, and the public, as well as threaten the continuous performance of essential Court functions and operations," reads an announcement by court officials.

Officials noted that this will not affect jury trials that are currently in progress, as that will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

The six-foot physical distance requirement in courtrooms will also be reinstated. Access to courtrooms will also be limited to only those persons who have a matter on the calendar.

Riverside County has reported 18,299 new coronavirus cases over the past two weeks. COVID deaths have not spiked during these two weeks, but hospitalizations have.

Since Dec. 21, there have been 35 COVID-deaths, 289 hospitalizations, and 13 more patients in the ICU.

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