Coronado v. American Honda Motor Co. Order Denying Motion Objecting to Remote Jury Trial (Alameda Cnty. Super. Ct. Jan. 3, 2021)
Order denying Honda’s objections to proceeding with remote jury trial in civil case where plaintiff’s medical condition had caused his case to be placed on preference calendar due to likelihood of his imminent death; court noted that criminal defendants have a Sixth Amendment right that requires their consent to remote trials but that the Seventh Amendment affords no such rights to defendants in civil cases; court also noted that remote trials offer many advantages such as avoiding travel time that causes trial delays, jurors all having the same angle on witnesses and having a closer view of facial expressions than would be possible in person; concerns about digital divide would be addressed by jurors without reliable internet coming to court in person and participating on court-provided computers while observing social distancing.
