GET CALLED.
>> IT’S BEEN CRITICAL TO MAK
SURE WE CAN DO THIS SAFELY.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO HAVE A JURY
TRIAL AND HAVE NO JURORS SHOW UP
BECAUSE THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
THEIR SAFETY
MEREDITH: SOCIAL DISTANCING,
SANITIZATION, PLEXIGLASS
DIVIDERS.
PRESIDENT JUDGE DAVID ASHWORTH
SAYS THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
PRECAUTIONS PUT IN PLACE TO KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE.
JUDGE ASHWORTH: ALL THE THINGS
THAT WE HAVE DONE, IT’S SAFER TO
COME TO JURY DUTY THAN TO COME
TO A BIG BOX STORE.
MEREDITH: COURTROOM A IN THE
LANCASTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
BIG ENOUGH TO SPREAD PEOPLE OUT,
INCLUDING THE JURORS, WHO US
TO SIT IN A JURORS BOX HERE.
BUT THAT’S BEEN REMOVED.
ALSO BEING REMOVED, THE JUDGE’S
BENCH FROM COURTROOM B, TOO
SMALL FOR SOCIALLY DISTANCT JURY
TRIALS
THAT PIECE OF FURNITURE WILL
EVENTUALLY SIT HERE, WHILE
POTENTIAL JURORS WILL SIT OVER
IN THAT FAR CORNER.
THIS CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE
LANCASTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT
CENTER WILL HELP COURT WORK
THROUGH THE TRIAL BACKLOG.
JUDGE ASHWORTH: WE’RE VERY
FORTUNATE TO HAVE TWO LOCATIONS,
BECAUSE WE CAN DO TWICE AS MUCH
WORK.
MEREDITH: WHILE MASKS ARE
REQUIRED, AT CERTAIN TIMES SOME
MIGHT WEAR JUST FACE SHIELDS
LIKE THIS THAT THE COURT WILL
PROVID
JUDGE ASHWORTH: DURING JURY
SELECTION, DURING THE TRIAL,
IT’S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE BE
ABLE TO SEE THE EXPRESSION ON
PEOPLE’S FACES.
MEREDITH: NO MATTER THE
EXPRESSIONS, JUDGE ASHWORTH
WANTS EVERYONE TO FEEL SAFE WHEN
PARTICIPATING IN THIS IMPORTAN
PART OF DEMOCRACY.
JUDGE ASHWORTH: EVERYBODY HAS
BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD TO
MAKE THIS WORK, AND I THINK
WE’RE SET TO GO.
MEREDITH: IN LANCASTER COUNTY,
MEREDITH JORGENSEN,
