Jury trials in Riverside County suspended for second time because of COVID

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - All jury trials in Riverside County Superior Court will be postponed until at least the first week of 2021 as a precaution to reduce coronavirus exposure risks, court officials announced Monday, Dec. 7. Presiding Judge John Vineyard made the decision based on Gov. Gavin Newsom's region-by-region stay-at-home order, which took effect at midnight. The order calls for broad limits on day-to-day activity for a minimum of three weeks amid the ongoing second-wave surge in COVID-19 cases. The baseline determinant for implementation is 15% intensive care unit bed capacity. Any region where the number of beds falls below that threshold triggers the new lockdown. Southern California hit the trigger. ``As a result ... all new jury trials are suspended through Dec. 31,'' accordin