MONTICELLO — Beginning July 5, the Monticello Middle School cafeteria will be open for the first time since mid-March.
But instead of dishing out food, justice will be served.
The middle school, built a century after the 1903 Piatt County courthouse, has the larger spaces that make it much easier to adapt to the COVID-19-related guidelines issued recently by the Illinois Supreme Court.
“The Monticello Middle School was selected because the building is readily available during the Piatt County July trial setting, mainly due to no school during the summer months,” Piatt State’s Attorney Dana Rhoades said.
“The school district recently conducted a social distancing high school graduation, and I was aware that there was the capacity to maintain sufficient social distancing for jury trial purposes.”
There are currently five cases slated for the two-week jury trial window. School Superintendent Vic Zimmerman, who has been known to be in the gallery for past trials, is all in.
“I’m excited about it. I think it will be great,” he said, noting that the middle school office is closed in July anyway.
“They’re going to use the commons area and the stage, so the judge will be up on the stage with the court reporter, and then the jury will be down on one side, social distanced 6 feet apart, and the attorneys on the other side,” Zimmerman said. “They’ll have room for visitors and observers.”
The social distancing would be difficult in the traditional courtrooms, which feature fixed seating for the jury, visitors, judge and witness box.
“The Piatt County Courthouse is small and not easily adaptable to the social distancing guidelines,” said Rhoades, noting that matters of jurisprudence have already been canceled for two months during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Piatt County Presiding Judge (Hugh) Finson and Judge (Jeremy) Richey requested that I secure a location for the July trial session that would comply with the Illinois Supreme Court guidelines.”
There will also be private jury quarters, a defense counsel room, prosecution quarters and witness rooms available.
Rhoades said the school district also offered to set up the seating, tables and necessary IT hookups for court to be held at the middle school.
“I am definitely looking forward to a different venue,” Rhoades said. “We all sharpen our skills by getting outside of our comfort zones and presenting evidence in a different venue.”
The Piatt County Sheriff’s Department will be in charge of security, just as it is at the courthouse.
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June 25, 2020 at 07:45PM
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Coronavirus response | Piatt County jury trials moved Monticello Middle School - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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