TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 21, 2020

Criminal Court Judge Kyle Hixson today opened the first jury trial in Knox County since the state Supreme Court suspended proceedings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Knoxnews reports. Hixson and Knox County Health Department officials had gone back and forth on the layout of the courtroom because the original plan did not meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines. Those plans were later changed to allow jurors and others to be six feet apart. “The criminal justice system is absolutely essential," Hixson said. "We must continue to hold jury trials in a way that honors the Constitution and protects the safety (of the public).” The Knox County Public Defender’s office had filed an emergency motion to stop the proceedings, but the Court of Criminal Appeals denied the motion Monday night.