HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) - A north Alabama county is delaying all capital murder trials because the courthouse doesn't have enough room for would-be jurors to stay away from each other during the pandemic.
Attorneys typically call a larger-than-normal number of potential jurors for capital cases, and the presiding judge in Madison County, Ruth Ann Hall, told WHNT-TV the courthouse in Huntsville doesn't have enough space to allow for proper social distancing in those instances.
So capital cases will be on hold until 2021, delaying justice for both crime victims and defendants.
"I indicated to the judges that we simply could not try any capital murder cases this year, because you know, we have one courtroom we can get 30 people in for voir dire and jury selection. For capital murder you need three to four times that, minimum," said Hall.
At least three capital murder cases were set to be tried this year, said District Attorney Rob Broussard. The first case on the calendar involved Warren Hardy, who is charged in the death of Kathleen Lundy, 72, of Huntsville in August 2016.
Trials in other kinds of cases are scheduled to resume next month in Madison County.