Nueces County Is Ready for First Ever Zoom Jury Trial
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Aug. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, attorney Alex Hilliard of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP filed a motion requesting that Nueces County Court at Law No. 4, the Honorable Mark H. Woerner presiding, hold the first virtual trial in the county, using the popular video conference platform Zoom. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Robert Faircloth who was paralyzed after a traumatic fall from a crane in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Corpus Christi, Texas in March of 2017.
The case, which was filed shortly after the incident in 2017, is currently set for trial on October 5, 2020. Given the current COVID-19 climate, the Plaintiff argues that the August 6(th) Texas Supreme Court Emergency Order permitting civil jury trials should apply to this case and the trial should proceed as scheduled via Zoom Remote Video Conference. The motion references a recent successful video conference trial which occurred in Broward County, Florida and argues that remote civil trials are the safest way to proceed in the pandemic.
Mr. Hilliard states, "In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, litigants are adapting to working remotely and cases across the country are proceeding efficiently with discovery by conducting depositions and hearings via Zoom. In the past three weeks, courts have moved forward with trials and other pre-trial proceedings via Zoom."
"There is no doubt that jury trials can be conducted via a video platform. Had anyone suggested this possibility of viable jury trials to the legal community in March, it is unlikely anyone would have thought it possible. Today, with continued COVID-19 outbreaks, remote jury trials are the only way to safely move cases on civil dockets."
The case is: Robert Faircloth v. Wal-Mart Stores Texas, LLC, Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, et. al., case number 4:18-cv-03127, in Nueces County Court at Law No. 4.
About HMG
Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP (HMG) specializes in mass torts, personal injury, product liability, commercial and business litigation, and wrongful death. Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP has been successfully representing clients in the United States and Mexico since 1986. Bob Hilliard obtained the Largest Verdict in the country in 2012 and the #1 verdict in Texas.
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SOURCE Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP
