After a federal eviction moratorium was allowed to lapse this weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new moratorium Tuesday on evictions that would last until Oct. 3.

SAN ANTONIO – As the moratorium on jury trials keeps being extended in Bexar County, so does the time it takes to get a case to trial, pushing some defendants to argue that they are not getting their constitutionally guaranteed right to a speedy trial. Ruben Loredo, 56, is facing a felony charge and four misdemeanor charges in Bexar County for alleging violating protective orders. “I’ve been waiting for a long time.”Judges divided on extension of jury trial moratorium in Bexar CountyThat wait became even longer last March when a moratorium on jury trials was ordered due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. Roe said his only other option is to agree to a bench trial before a judge rather than a jury trial. Jury service resumption in Bexar County gets closer look

SAN ANTONIO – With the COVID-19 positivity rate at 9.2% and climbing steadily, local administrative Judge Ron Rangel has been meeting with criminal and district court judges to discuss extending the moratorium on in-person jury trials. “I think, overall, the judges are confirmed, or have confirmed to me, that they do desire to focus on community safety.”Judges divided on extension of jury trial moratorium in Bexar CountyTo Rangel, that means extending the moratorium. “I do not anticipate in-person jury trials to be at the earliest until mid-February,” he said. “I don’t think that it is so significant at this point yet, that we should risk the health and safety of the community and all the participants by starting in-person jury trials,” Rangel said. Rangel said that community safety must always win when it is a balance between community safety and judicial economy.

SAN ANTONIO – The moratorium on jury trials ordered in March over concerns about the spreading of COVID-19 will end on Dec. 31. The decision on whether to extend the moratorium is up to Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel. “We know that we are in a current surge of COVID cases.”Jury service resumption in Bexar County gets closer lookSeveral judges in the criminal, civil and misdemeanor courts at the Bexar County Courthouse are anxious to begin conducting in person jury trials. “I believe that we should consider resuming jury trials on a case-by-case basis,” County Court 11 Judge Tommy Stolhandske said. Stolhandske also noted that Harris and Kendall counties have already resumed in-person jury trials.