Supreme Court of New Jersey Order Authorizing Remote Civil Jury Trials
Following release of plan in November 2020 and public comment period, court adopted two-phase process for instituting remote civil jury trials: first phase starting February 1 in certain counties where parties must consent, and then extending statewide in second phase starting April 5, 2021, where consent will not be required. Pretrial conferences will determine if witnesses, attorneys and judge will be in courtroom while jurors participate remotely, or if all participants will be remote. Court will provide jurors with tablets to use at home but they can use their own technology if they prefer and can demonstrate its reliability. Public access to remote trials will initially be provided through live broadcasts that do not show images of or otherwise identify jurors.
Supreme Court of New Jersey Order Authorizing Remote Civil Jury Trials