Daytona Beach, FL - The suspension of jury trials now extends to July 6 by order of the Florida Supreme Court but that doesn’t mean that the State Attorney’s Office is quiet. Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza says though the office has been closed since March seventeenth, ninety percent of the employees are working from home.
Larizza said the office went paperless in 2013 and at that time the office had the capability to work remotely from home with the Continuing Operation Plan. "Hurricanes, tornados, floods. I must say I didn't foresee the coronavirus that would be the reason we would implement and execute. We brought up over 90 percent of our staff are working from home." He also said that his office hasn't missed a beat in continuing to make public safety the number one priority. Larizza said it's because of the people. "We've disposed of over 53-hundred cases since March 17. We are alive and well and I'm very proud of our staff because of what we've been able to do."
As for the more serious crimes, like murder or abuse, Larizza said while they can’t go to trial, a lot of work is getting done. "The Florida Supreme Court has suspended the speedy trial rule. Now, people who've committed serious crimes that are in custody, their attorneys can still work, they can still file motions and we're doing depositions."
