Victims, defendants wait for justice as Wake County trials delayed until October

Pre-pandemic, there would be at least one or two murder trials per month in the Wake County Justice Center. But since the shutdowns began in March, these trials have been delayed, and there will be no jury trials until at least October, according to Paul Ridgeway, Chief resident superior court judge in Wake County.

As a result, Wake County has a backlog of 65 murder cases involving more than 90 defendants awaiting trial. The closure has created a backlog of cases, leaving defendants and victims waiting for justice.

The waiting is especially difficult for victims' families.

While officials have put into place rules about masks and social distancing in the courthouse, it's hard to imagine bringing together a jury pool of dozens of potential jurors safely in a courtroom.

"October is optimistic," Ridgeway said. "It’s a gradual process. There are a lot of variables. We’re really hoping – we’re getting behind. We have a backlog, and we really need to start jury trials as soon as we can."

Currently, the county has 26 murder cases ready for trial. District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said her office is trying to see which cases they can settle with plea deals instead of going to trial.

Since justice is for everyone, the courts must keep people who are particularly at-risk for COVID-19 in mind when considering when to open.

"We know there are people who would be called who are immuno-compromised. So we just want to make every consideration possible to resume jury trials safely," said Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.

Ridgeway said they are looking at ways to make courtrooms safer – perhaps by putting the jurors in the audience instead of in the jury box, or by spreading people out through multiple courtrooms and using video.

Some safety considerations include removing jurors from the confined jury box and reconfiguring the courtroom, instead putting jurors in the area generally provided for the audience, where there is more space.

If jurors are in the gallery, no visitors will be able to sit in the courtroom – but there is talk of streaming the proceedings so people can watch in empty, nearby courtrooms.

The Chief Justice has given the court systems in each county until September 1 to submit their plan for how to move forward.​

In the meantime, some people are sitting in jail waiting for a delayed trial date.

And some victims are still left waiting for suspects to go to trial.

The delays are frustrating, but necessary for the community's safety, according to court officials in Wake County.