Elizabeth Burch is the Fuller E. Callaway Chair of Law in the University of Georgia’s School of Law. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, a professor in the School of Law, was recently quoted in a Washington Post article about the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in delaying trials about the health crisis of landmark opioid litigation.
With regard to the federal trials that have been delayed, courts have hesitated to transition to virtual options. One of the main reasons for this involves the sheer scale of the opioid litigation. This makes it challenging to hold a trial using video conferencing tools. Burch said it’s worrisome.
“I worry that courts aren’t being creative about providing the right to a jury trial,” she said. “If they don’t like Zoom, is there a stadium they can use? What is there that they can do to continue to have that day-in-court moment?”
