How coronavirus will impact jury duty when Horry County trials resume
Could coronavirus help you out of jury duty?
Horry County’s top prosecutors said the coronavirus’ economic toll is something lawyers will have to be aware of when trials resume, possibly as early as next month.
When COVID-19 hit the Myrtle Beach area, courthouses closed and judges only heard minor cases and routine court business. Thousands also found themselves out of work because their restaurant or business closed during the pandemic.
The state has given no official direction, but Jimmy Richardson, solicitor for the 15th Judicial District, said his office is working on the assumption that trials can resume in mid-June with plea court possibly starting a week earlier.
When that happens, Richardson said prosecutors will have to be aware of people facing economic hardship. Traditionally, potential juror members are only excused if they are the only employee of their business or if there will be a significant economic impact. But when trials resume, Richardson said they will need to be aware people might have been out of work for weeks, and now the state is asking them to miss more time to serve on a jury.
Last week, South Carolina Judicial Branch Chief Judge Donald Beatty issued a directive to judges on how court should operate until June. That includes hearing pre-trial issues and cases where a judge, not a jury, will make the ruling. Courts should also hold virtual hearings when possible.
Horry County’s trial roster is often set months in advance, and Richardson said his office recently met with Horry County’s Administrative Judge Steven John to develop a new schedule. Prosecutors moved up some trials where the defendants can’t make bail and delayed some previously scheduled trials.
The case of four men accused of murdering Matthew Autry and Shawn Anderson was initially set for July, but now has been delayed, Autry’s mother, Tracy Baker, said.
In July 2018, Horry County police found Autry and Shawn Anderson dead in a burned car on Butler Road. Police charged four people with murder in connection to the case. Investigators say the suspects shot, stabbed and then burned the victims in the car. Two suspects are free on bond, and two remain in J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
When coronavirus hit, Baker said she figured the case would be delayed, but hoped it would continue as planned. She said her biggest concern is that suspects in jail will post bond.
“I’m in my own prison every day,” Baker said.
Judges have heard bond requests and some pleas for minor cases during the pandemic. Richardson said his office handled more than 110 pleas since the pandemic started by defendants held in J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
Some South Carolina solicitors have also discussed holding virtual grand jury proceedings, but Richardson didn’t feel that would be necessary for Horry County. A grand jury traditionally files formal charges against a defendant after the police have made an arrest.
Horry County holds one day of in-person grand jury hearings but could hold them twice a month, Richardson said. The number of arrests — therefore the number of cases — is also down during the outbreak, which limits the need to hold grand jury proceedings.
