Lafayette, LA., (KLFY) — Jury trials are set to resume on April 1 after being delayed for over a year.
The Louisiana Supreme Court delayed trials in March, 2020 due to COVID-19.
In some parishes, this has created a number of cases where defendants have requested a trial, ultimately keeping them from facing any consequences during the time trials were delayed.
“There’s no real incentive right now for a defendant to enter a plea, when he knows that, no trial dates, don’t have to go before a judge, don’t have to face the music so to speak,” District Attorney Don Landry said.
Some trials have been moved to late summer while others are being rescheduled for as late as December of 2021. However, despite the large number of trial cases, Landry said he’s ready to get to work with the court system.
“They all have the same goal in mind, let’s move some of these cases, let’s bring, it’s an old cliché, but let’s bring justice.”
Landry is also expecting more accused criminals to take plea deals.
“Some of them are going to be by trial and to be honest with you, I think we’ll be able to obtain some more pleas,” he said.