TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Objections Arise Over Masked Jurors, Closed Courtrooms

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 6, 2020

For the first time in Tennessee history, as the coronavirus pandemic grips the world, courts are poised to try the accused with jurors behind masks and courtroom doors largely closed, Knoxnews reports. Knoxville defense attorney Joshua Hedrick argues that this approach is neither safe nor constitutional. He argues that most judicial reopening plans drafted by local judges and approved by the state Supreme Court either do not address or bar public access to trials, and that the use of masks violates the defendant’s right to confront witnesses and hinders the jury’s ability to judge witnesses’ credibility. In Knox County, the criminal courts are moving forward with cases and are mandating masks for jurors. Several other counties in state are gearing up for jury trials by the end of July, while others are holding off until at least August. Davidson County courts have suspended jury trials through September.

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