Senior judge urges Md. courts to keep virtual access beyond pandemic

After commissioning a task force to evaluate the pros and cons of virtual court proceedings, the Maryland judiciary has announced that courtrooms across the state will be encouraged to continue using remote access technology beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

The task force recommended that the state’s courts continue offering audio or video access for most procedural matters, including criminal sentencings, bond and bail review hearings, and pretrial conferences. The task force advised against holding criminal and civil jury trials virtually, in part because it would be too difficult for a “finder of fact” to adequately assess the credibility of evidence remotely.