U.S. Courts Close Doors, Cancel Juries as Virus Surges (1)

Courts across the U.S. are shutting their doors again due to rising Covid-19 cases, including several that had outbreaks inside their courthouses.

State and federal courts—including those in Texas, New York, Maryland, New Mexico, and Illinois—have suspended jury trials in the past few weeks as a result of spikes in Covid-19 infections.

“Vigilance is the watchword,” said Southern District of Texas Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal, who sits in Houston. “Every day we check the numbers.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, courts nationwide halted in-person operations. As health conditions have allowed, they’ve been ...