| Jury trials to resume April 5 in the 9th Judicial District |
Friday, April 2, 2021
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. – Beginning April 5, 2021, jury trials for both district and county court will resume in the 9th Judicial District, which covers Colorado’s Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties.
Trials by jury are fundamental to the American system of justice. Except for a brief period in the late summer and fall of 2020, jury trials have been suspended over the course of the pandemic by orders from former Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan B. Coats and 9th Judicial District Chief Judge James Boyd.
With the increasing availability of vaccines, particularly to those in populations most vulnerable to COVID-19, and improved metrics related to the disease, the time for resuming jury trials has arrived.
Chief Judge Boyd has adopted a jury trial plan in consultation with public health officials, other judges and judicial districts throughout the state, court staff, attorneys, and others. The plan involves a limit on the number of trials that may proceed at any one time in a courthouse, health screening for arriving participants including jurors, social distancing, a mask requirement, and other appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all participants.
There are five courthouses within the 9th Judicial District to which jurors may be summoned. Those with questions about potential jury service should contact the jury commissioner for each courthouse: https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/District/Jury.cfm?District_ID=9.
The courts will continue to utilize WebEx for hearings and other court appearances.