Government

VI Courts Announce Resumption of In-Person, Non-Jury Trials Beginning Sept. 7; In-Person Jury Trials to Resume in October

The territory's courts will resume in-person hearings for non-jury trials beginning Sept. 7, according to a new order issued by V.I. Supreme Court Chief Justice Rhys Hodge. However, the order gives the courts the authority to determine whether to conduct a hearing in-person or remotely. "Administrator of Courts, Regina Petersen, advises the public and members of the Virgin Islands Bar Association, that the temporary emergency measures implemented at all Judicial Branch Facilities which previously went into effect at 12:00 a.m. on August 2, 2021, shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 6, 2021, and shall be replaced effective 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday September 7, 2021, with the new measures outlined in Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 2021-0013," stated a release issued by the V.I. Supreme Court. The release stated that all "proceedings in the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, as well as proceedings before the Board on Professional Responsibility, the Commission on Judic...