Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
A court in Texas is holding the first jury trial on Zoom. The news comes as court systems across the country face a choice between postponing trials until the pandemic ends or holding remote proceedings.
The case in Texas is an insurance dispute in the Collin County District, as reported by Reuters. Judge Emily Miskel live-streamed the jury selection process via her YouTube channel on Monday morning.
Next, jurors will hear an abbreviated version of the dispute — a lawsuit against State Farm for not covering property damages that occurred during a 2017 storm — and deliver a non-binding verdict. “Officials say the abbreviated format and non-binding verdict make it ideal to test the viability of holding jury trials remotely,” writes R…