Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald on Monday ordered jury trials statewide be postponed through Oct. 4.
According to a Judiciary statement, the order was issued in response to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii.
“We very much appreciate the commitment of the public to support the administration of justice throughout the pandemic, especially those who have responded to a summons for jury duty and served as a juror,” Recktenwald said. “However, with the record numbers of positive cases and rapidly increasing hospitalizations being reported in our community, we believe it’s prudent to take additional precautions to reduce the number of people congregating in Judiciary facilities to protect court users and our staff.”
The order issued Monday includes civil, criminal and family court proceedings, but affects only jury trials.
All other court proceedings — many of which are conducted remotely by Zoom — will be held as scheduled.