Grays says in-person trials will soon resume

Queens Supreme Court, Civil Term Administrative Judge Marguerite Grays announced the courts will begin to schedule trials on July 19, 2021. Eagle file photo by Caroline Ourso

By Jacob Kaye

Queens courts will take one step closer to returning to their pre-pandemic bustle this month.

Following a meeting between Queens Supreme Court, Civil Term Administrative Judge Marguerite Grays, the Queens County Bar Association and other affiliated bar associations, an agreement was reached to begin scheduling in-person jury trials on July 19.

“Attorneys need to get back to work and cases have to start moving,” said Michael D. Abneri, the vice president of the QCBA. “We appreciate that they're not accelerating to a full reopening and that they appear to be doing it gradually.”

The in-person Trial Scheduling Part calendar will be in courtroom 25, and there will be 20 cases called per day, Monday through Thursday. Ten cases will be heard at 9:30 a.m. and 10 more will be heard at 11 a.m. On Fridays, five cases will be called.

While the schedule will be a bit flexible during the first two weeks of the reopening, Grays aims to begin scheduling cases for trial more fully in August and September, according to the bar association. But in the meantime, it’s recommended that attorneys prepare the schedule of their witnesses and experts through October, the bar association said.

“I think it's appropriate at this point in time, in light of everything, that going forward there needs to be a little more flexibility than in normal, pre-pandemic times, as people try to line up their witnesses and experts, especially in the summer, when it's peak vacation time,” Abneri said.

In an effort to begin to clear the backlog – which has increased significantly across the state’s courts system-wide – the oldest cases will be called first, including both older cases on the trial calendar or cases with older index numbers.

For attorneys looking to review subpoenaed records, appointments can be made by calling 718-298-1021. There is a drop off and pick up basket for getting subpoenas signed on the first floor of the Supreme Court building.

In addition to the staggered scheduling of trials, other pandemic health precautions will remain in place. All witnesses, attorneys, jurors and judges are required to wear masks while in the courtroom during the trials. Plastic face shields will not be accepted as a substitute.

Social distancing will also be mandated during the scheduling. During the trials, plexiglass will remain in the courtroom to help break up air flow.

The bar association said that while Grays was committed to the current plan, it’s possible that things change and that attorneys should prepare to pivot quickly if they do.

Abneri said that in addition to getting attorneys back to work, getting trials going again is crucial to litigants, who have, in many cases, likely gone more than a year without much movement on their cases.

“It's important for the litigants to be able to get their cases resolved either by settlement, which frequently happens right before or during a trial, or to be able to get their cases resolved with a jury trial in a courthouse,” he said.

The QCBA will host a joint virtual meeting organized by the Supreme Court, Torts and Civil Court Committees of its organization to discuss the plan and share more details. The meeting will be held on July 12, at 1 p.m.