The Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana has issued COVID-19 General Order No. 20-10. The order amends COVID-19 General Order No. 20-9 and COVID-19 General Order 20-6 to extend certain deadlines addressed therein as follows:
1) All civil and criminal jury trials are suspended until January 1, 2021 and will be reset by each presiding judge. Those continuances do not continue any pending deadlines other than the trial dates. Attorneys should contact the presiding judges in their continued cases if they seek to modify such other deadlines.
2) With regard to criminal matters, due to the Court’s reduced ability to obtain an adequate spectrum of jurors and the effect of the recommendations of the health organizations mentioned in Exhibit A on the ability of counsel and Court staff to be present in the courtroom, the time period of the postponements implemented by this administrative order will be excluded under the Speedy Trial Act, as the Court specifically finds that the ends of justice served by ordering the postponements outweigh the best interest of the public and any defendant’s right to a speedy trial, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.§ 3161(h)(7)(A).
