Universal vaccine access crucial for NYC court system, de Blasio says
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The Queens Criminal Court building’s ceremonial courtroom was outfitted with plexiglass ahead of a November 2020 trial. Eagle file photo by David Brand
By David Brand
All New Yorkers over age 30 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting tomorrow — a major boost to the state court system, according to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the move toward universal vaccine access Monday. In addition, everyone over age 16 will be able to get their life-saving shots on April 6, he said.
“Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID,” Cuomo said. “As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind.”
So far, more than 9 million vaccine doses have been administered in New York, home to the highest vaccine rate in the country. About 1.1 million New York City residents are now fully vaccinated, according to city Health Department data.
The eligibility announcement came a few hours after reporters pressed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for his perspective on the state’s hesitance to release plan for universal vaccine access.
In response, de Blasio said he was willing to work with the state on any vaccine plan. And he specifically repeated a call to make jurors eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, with more than 20 trials underway across New York City.
De Blasio said vaccine access would allow more jurors to serve safely in order to “restart” the city’s justice system. Because of coronavirus restrictions, there have been just two criminal trials in Queens since March 2020, one in November and one that began March 24.
“What I would say is a galling omission that has to be addressed right now, is we have a profound need in this city and this state to bring our court system back,” he said. “The state should right way give New York City the freedom to vaccinate jurors who are coming to serve in trials so we can restart our justice system.”
De Blasio previously called on the state to make jurors eligible for vaccines in January, as the court system neared a decision to resume in-person jury trials.
New Yorkers began reporting to jury duty on March 22, when seven criminal and 19 civil trials were set to begin in the five boroughs.
Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer said that day that 57 of 100 people summoned for jury duty in the borough’s first civil trial of the year showed up. Another 500 people were summoned for grand jury service, and 400 for the criminal trial, she said.
Jurors are not asked whether they have received the COVID-19 vaccine. “That’s their business,” Pheffer said.
While most of the trials have proceeded, at least one, a civil case in Brooklyn, has caused significant COVID-related controversy.
King County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Lawrence Knipel refused to postpone a jury trial after the plaintiff’s 68-year-old lawyer said he had trouble breathing and projecting his voice from behind his mask to jurors sitting spread apart throughout the courtroom.
“I can’t breathe,” Greenwald told Knipel, according to the court transcript reviewed by the Eagle. “I became light-headed. I had to sit down.”
After Greenwald attempted to wear a face shield instead of a mask, Knipel and court staff ordered him to put the mask back on. Greenwald said he was unable to continue with the mask on.
“I don’t contest the rule. I just am not physically able to comply with the rule to do my job as a lawyer,” he said.
Knipel declined to postpone the trial until June, as Greenwald had requested, even though Greenwald said he was struggling to breath and “sweating profusely.”
But Knipel said Greenwald seemed to be talking well and did not provide a formal medical reason indicating that he could not proceed.
“It hurts me to do it, but case dismissed,” Knipel said.
