Editorial: 34th District Court keeps local justice rolling along

It hasn’t been easy, but local judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police officers and other hard-working individuals have been riding a bumpy road to try to bring justice in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
This week’s report on one of the first in-person preliminary exams since the pandemic started shows some of what has been necessary to keep the cases moving forward. The plastic partitions divide the courtroom into sections, so once a witness or attorney is in place, it is safe to take off the mask. It’s hard to judge what a witness is saying if you can’t see the face. That’s why some defense attorneys said they needed in-person court sessions instead of by Zoom. Witnesses wait out in their cars in the parking lot until they are called into the mostly empty courthouse to testify.
And, everyone has to become comfortable with Zoom, the virtual magic that allows everyone to see each other from their homes. There are frozen pauses when something goes wrong. Attorneys or defendants who disappear from the screen have to be hunted down by phone.
The Zoom remote exams started first and they resulted in some cases being sent to circuit court where they are waiting in line to be handled. Now, some are live.
The judges at 34th District Court are following the mandates of the Michigan Supreme Court to handle the cases and keep everyone safe. We appreciate all the patient efforts to keep justice rolling along.