Federal Courts Try Out Social Distancing, Video for Grand Juries

After months of being shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, the doors at federal courthouses around the nation are slowly starting to swing open with the convening of socially distanced grand juries.

Restarting: Jurors tasked with deciding whether to issue criminal indictments will be seated far apart from one another. Or in some cases, they’ll be required to view proceedings via video in different rooms or courthouses.

Concerns: New socially distant grand juries, especially using video conferencing, worries defense attorneys. Nina J. Ginsberg, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said with video “you’re distancing yourself from ...