As COVID-19 cases spike, Miami-Dade courts pause in-person hearings, jury trials for 2 weeks

Miami-Dade’s court system is pausing in-person hearings and jury trials for at least two weeks as the county grapples with an ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the delta variant.

Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie made the announcement Thursday as the latest spike in coronavirus infections has continued to upend the return to schools, workplaces and courthouses across Florida.

“The suspension was enacted in consideration of the current high rate of COVID-19 community transmission in Miami-Dade County, as well as the advice of epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists who regularly consult with the Miami-Dade Courts,” the circuit said in an advisory.

All hearings outside trials will continue via Zoom, the virtual platform that has been crucial in keeping the justice system operating during the pandemic.

Thursday’s decision came as the state reported 21,723 more COVID-19 cases — and 1,338 additional deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Herald calculations, the state has added 325 deaths and 19,902 cases each day on average over the past seven days.

Jury trials have also been halted in the 12th Circuit, which includes Sarasota, Manatee and Desoto counties. A handful of other counties have also reimposed mask requirements.

Miami-Dade’s criminal justice system was hit hard in August.

At least five South Florida police officers died of complications of COVID-19, as well as one clerk with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office child-support division. Last month, the State Attorney’s Office reported 41 cases of employees testing positive, and began staggering the in-person presence of employees in two offices to limit the number of people gathering in close quarters.

This week, 252 inmates in the Miami-Dade jail system were positive for COVID, as were 126 corrections staffers.

As with state court systems across Florida, Miami-Dade largely shut down in-person hearings in March 2020 as governments sought to limit the spread of the highly contagious virus. Jury trials were also suspended, and most hearings resumed on Zoom.

With the introduction of vaccines, Florida courts began opening up in the spring. Miami-Dade jury trials resumed in March, and courthouses opened up fully to the public on June 28.

The delta variant soon fueled a steep increase in cases. In late July, Miami-Dade reinstituted a mask mandate and officials switched to a hybrid in-person and online model designed to “keep the volume of people at a minimum” inside the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the seven-day average of new COVID cases in Florida. The story has been updated to reflect that in the past seven days, on average, the state has added 19,902 cases each day.

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 5:24 PM.