BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Since assemblage trials resumed successful April, Baltimore County has tried 10 execution cases and reached blameworthy pleas successful 15 others, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger announced connected Thursday.
Jury trials were permitted to resume connected April 26. Four courtrooms successful the Circuit Court for Baltimore County person been equipped to accommodate societal distancing and different information measures, and jurors are selected astatine the American Legion Hall wherever determination is much space, Shellenberger’s bureau said.
Following the restart, 1,374 cases person been resolved without the request for a assemblage proceedings adjacent though the enactment for 1 was available, his bureau said. Thirteen cases that were deemed serious, 10 of which were murders, have gone done assemblage enactment and trial.
Before assemblage trials started up again, Lead Criminal Judge Robert E. Cahill, Jr. created a docket of cases that prioritizes however aged a lawsuit is and if the suspect is incarcerated portion awaiting his oregon her time successful court.
In a statement, Shellenberger credited Cahill, Administrative Judge Kathleen Gallogly Cox, and Administrative Judge Ruth Jakubowski for “their enactment successful structuring a process wherever each of america tin enactment unneurotic to execute justness for the victims of transgression successful this County and for the individuals charged with those crimes.”
Cox retired in February.
Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera ordered successful March 2020 that courts crossed the authorities unopen down owed to the pandemic. At that time, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office worked with nationalist defenders and defence attorneys to “find just and punctual solution of cases” that could not spell to trial, Shellenberger said.