Virtual Criminal Jury Trial Getting Texas Test—iPads Included

An Austin, Texas, court will begin what it says is the first U.S. virtual criminal jury trial on Tuesday, a closely watched experiment brought on by the coronavirus pandemic that’s requiring creative solutions.

Potential jurors who lack their own hardware will be provided court-issued iPads. The six jurors selected to serve in the misdemeanor traffic case will hear evidence in one room on Zoom and the public can watch on YouTube. Jurors will deliberate in a separate virtual room.

Court administrators say they hope the experiment will help them “be able to release best practices and some standards out ...