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IN TH E U N ITED STATES D IST RICT COU RT JU c
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FO R TH E W ESTERN D ISTRICT O F W RGIN IA EP :av
IN RE :
SPEEDY TRIAL ACT,18U.S.C.j3161 Standing OrderN o.2020-10
In responseto thecontinuing spread ofCOViD-19,on March24,2020,thiscourt
issued Am ended Standing OrderN o.2020-5,extending the resi ction on in-person court
Proceedingsforanyin-person criminal,civil,andbankruptcyproceedinj12.
11t11May1,2020.
'T'
hisincludedcondnuingallcriminaljurytrialssetonorbeforeM ay1,2020andallgrandjury
proceedingsseton orbeforeApril17,2020.Atthetim eoftheissuanceoftheM arch24 order,
the courtfound thattherequired continuanceswere excluded undertheSpeedyTtialAct,18
U.S.C.j 3161$)C)(A),as the ends ofjuséce served by the continuances outweighed the
interestsoftheparéesand the publicin a speedy trial.'The courtnow expoundsupon those
finclingsthattheendsofjusticewatrantsuchan exclusion from thespeedytHaIclock.
A sthel'esultofthe publichealth zecom m enda:onsm adeby theCentersforD isease
Controland Prevention;the President of the United States;and,m ostrecently,Governor
Ralph N ortham 'sM arch 30,2020 Execudve Order 55,wlùch also dizects allindividuals in
Virgirziato remaitzattheirplaceofresidenceuntillune10,2020,thecourt'sabilityto obtfin
an adequatespectrum ofjurorshasbeenrenderedimpossible.In addidon,thepresentpublic
health crisisprecludesthe cout'tfrom convening counsel,courtstaff,United StatesM arshals,
intem retets, Cottrt Seclztity O fficers,Probation O fûcers,w itne'sses, and other pardcipants
necessaryto conductctiminalptoceeclings.
Given these circum stances,the courtspecifcally ftnds thatthe need to protectthe
healthandsafetyofjurors,courtemployees,defendants,theircounsel,prosecutors,witnesses,
judges,and thepublic,requiresthecotu'tto eliminate in-person proceeclingsto the fullest
extent possible.Cdnainal tdals inherently involve a signiûcant am ount of close contact
between allparties.Furthermore,continuingallcriminaljuty trialsthrough May 1,2020 will
assistwith minim iming the spread ofCOVID -19notonlyto courthousepetsonnel,butto and
witlnin detendon faciliéesand theBureau ofPrisons.Accordingly,thecouztfindsthattheends
ofjuséce served by conénlping allcriminaljury tdals through M ay 1,2020 outweigh the
interestsofthepaG esand tllepublicin a speedy ttial.
To the extenttlaisorder,orany otherotdetby thiscouftirlresponse to the COVID-
.q
19 pandemic,restzltsin delayed indictmentsdue to theabsence ofa sitting gtand jury,the
United StatesA/ozney istequested to ftle a m otion and proposed orderto ensure thatthe
instantfinclings are m ade TTit'
lthe record''ofeach case.See Zednerv.United States,547 U .S.
489,506 (2006).Such proposed ordersmayproposetoincomotatetheSnclingsmadeitltbis
standing order.D efense counselm aythen flle any m otion orresponse related to the court's
18U.S.C.j3161$)(7)fmdings.
Further,to the extenteitherpartywishesto ensurethattheabove ândingsate ffin the
record''of any individualcrim inal case for which ttialis delayed due to the CO VID -19
response,theym ay ftleam otion and proposed orderto incom oratethese,orfuttherfm dings,
i.
n therecord.A presiding judgemay also take thenecessary stepsto incomoratethese,or
futthet ftnclings,in the tecord ofany itldividualcase.The collt'tNvillcontinue to m onitor the
COVID-19publichealth em ergency and futthercondnuancesm ay beissued asnecessary and
appropdate.
Enter: April 8 , 2020
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Date:2:20.04.
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chaelF.U tbanski
ClliefUnited StatesDistrictludge
