Virus halts jury trials

A rising COVID-19 case rate documented by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has halted jury trials in four of the five northern counties.

Jury trials for the week of Aug. 30 are suspended in Benewah, Bonner, Kootenai and Shoshone counties.

Rich Christensen, administrative district judge of the First District, signed an order pausing trials pursuant to the Idaho Supreme Court’s June 25 emergency order.

Benewah County’s seven-day moving average incident rate of confirmed or presumed cases of COVID-19 was 36.9 per 100,000 population as of Aug. 19.

Bonner County’s rate was 25.9 for the same period.

In Kootenai County, the rate was 39.9.

It was 42.1 in Shoshone County.

Any county with a seven-day moving average incidence rate of 25.0 or more is required to pause trials.

Masks are required in court facilities, per the order.

Individuals must also maintain a minimum of 6 feet of physical distance from anyone not of the same household.

The order will remain in effect in each county until the respective seven-day moving average incident rate falls below 25.0, as determined by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.