
La. Supreme Court: No trials until March 1
The Louisiana Supreme Court has issued a moratorium on criminal and civil trials in all parishes until March 1 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.
The state’s high court order Monday said trials that are currently in progress may continue to conclusion, at the discretion of the local court.
Time periods of continuances are excluded from speedy trial computations
The order does not impact pretrial or post-trial matters, but the court ordered a continuation of social distancing and limits on how many people can be in courtrooms — 50 percent of total capacity as determined by the State Fire Marshall, counting both the number of employees and members of the public present..
Grand Jury sessions will not be impacted by the order. New grand juries may be empaneled as necessary.
Courts are encouraged to hold remote proceedings by telephone, video, teleconferencing or any other means that do not involve in-person contact as long as all parties and the judge agree.