Closed Berkshire Mall Could Be Used As A Site For Jury Trials

A shuttered Massachusetts mall is being considered as a site to hold jury trials when they resume early next year, officials say.

According to a story reported on by WWLP/22 News, in a letter to Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington, Massachusetts Trial Court’s Chief Justice Paula Carey said The Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough is a possible location for trials.

The retail outlet just outside of Pittsfield shut down last year.

Jury trials have been suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, but the state court system announced a plan recently to resume six-person jury trials in January to deal with a massive statewide backlog, but only at sites that can be made coronavirus safe.

It was determined that Berkshire County courthouses could not be made safe.

Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington said the inability to try cases is delaying justice, while frustrating victims and defendants alike.

There is a backlog of more than 2,000 district court trials and almost 200 Superior Court trials in Berkshire County alone, she said.

Massachusetts health officials releasing two days’ worth of coronavirus data reported nearly 4,500 newly confirmed cases and 29 additional confirmed deaths.

Massachusetts’ total caseload since the pandemic began rose Friday to just under 212,000 cases, and the death toll now stands at 10,401. Authorities caution that the actual toll is likely higher because of deaths not attributed to COVID-19.

As of Sunday, state public health officials reported 46 newly confirmed deaths and 2,501 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts.

For more on the story, check out WWLP/22 News' website here.