UNITED DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
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In Re: c.;ournERt~ ms T. 01,10
t:l1ST. DIV. COLUMBUS
ORDER OF PARTIAL SEQUESTRATION
FOR VENIRE PERSONS REQUIRED GENERAL ORDER 21-13
TO REMAIN AT THE COURTHOUSE
FOR VOIR DIRE IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF OHIO
This Court issues this General Order as an additional Order in a series of General Orders
that the Court has issued in response to the continuing spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-
19) in the Southern District of Ohio and elsewhere. There have been over one million confirmed
cases in Ohio and over five hundred sixty-seven thousand confirmed cases throughout the Southern
District of Ohio generally, with seats of Court in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. The Court
continues to monitor developments relating to the spread of COVID-19 and to make operational
adjustments that seek to preserve public access to the Court, and that enable the Court safely to
perform its customary functions, while also protecting the health of the Court's staff and the
constituencies the Court serves. The spread of COVID-19 has been so pernicious that the President
of the United States has invoked the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S. C. § 1601, et seq., and the
Governor of the State of Ohio, Mike DeWine, has declared a current COVID-19 advisory status
of red (the second highest of the four levels) for the three cities in the Southern District of Ohio in
which courthouses are located. In addition, a majority of citizens in the District live in counties
classified as red.
By General Order 21-11, this Court declared, inter alia, that criminal and civil jury trials
and other in-Court proceedings could resume effective May 3, 2021. In the event that either a
criminal or civil jury trial proceeds, then such trial must be held in one of eleven plexiglass-
equipped courtrooms within the three federal courthouses in the Southern District of Ohio. 1
In light of the fact that jury trials have resumed in the Southern District of Ohio, and that
the Grand Jury has resumed its meetings under certain circumstances, and in light of the ongoing
spread of COVID-19, this Court issued General Order 20-30, which makes provision for meals for
petit jurors and grand jurors. That Order remains in full force and effect. This General Order 21-
13 is enacted to address the necessity to make provision for venire persons' (i.e., persons
summoned to be jurors) meals, including lunches for all venire persons required to remain at the
courthouse for the voir dire process, to ensure the safety of said venire persons. Based on this
Court's findings that there exists in the Southern District of Ohio indicators from health officials
that the virus is not contained in the State of Ohio or the Southern District of Ohio, in my capacity
as Chief Judge, I hereby enter this Order of Partial Sequestration pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1871(e),
instructing that all venire persons are to be "kept together and not to separate" for their safety and
security during the time that they are at the courthouse for the voir dire process. With this Order,
the Court may procure meals for said semi-sequestered venire persons and charge the costs of the
venire persons' meals and the delivery fee to the juror fee appropriation fund.
This Order will remain in full force and effect until further notice.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: May 12, 2021
1
There are eleven courtrooms that are or will be equipped with plexiglass for civil jury trials, i.e., that
have jury boxes that can accommodate at least six jurors. Nine of those courtrooms will accommodate
criminal jury trials, as the jury boxes can accommodate at least twelve jurors.
