TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As COVID-19 cases and deaths in Florida continue to spike, criminal defense lawyers are asking courts again to conduct non-essential hearings remotely. In a news release Tuesday, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said video hearings can be more efficient and safer.
“FACDL is concerned that if proactive steps are not taken now, more severe measures will be required in the future and will result in further significant adverse due process implications,” Jude M. Faccidomo, the organization’s president, said in a statement.
Recommended Videos
Faccidomo also expressed concern about COVID-19 cases in pre-trial correctional facilities, arguing “it is nearly impossible to control infection rates in a jail when there is no mandate that employees be vaccinated and new inmates arrive daily.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis has called vaccinations against COVID-19 a “lifesaver” but he has been adamant that Florida will not issue vaccine “mandates.”
The state is experiencing a surge in cases and deaths as the highly transmissible delta variant of the novel coronavirus spreads and vaccination rates lag. Hospital officials across Florida say beds are filling up with COVID-19 patients.