by James D. Crosby

InsightsJune 30, 20210 comments

Trials, trials, trials!

Trials, trials, trials! I suspect the late 2021-early 2022 calendars of most San Diego trial attorneys are filling back up with trials, trials, trials. Mine sure is! The 2020-2021 covid court restrictions and associated delayed trial dates and, now, the court’s reopening and full resumption of trials have, for me, sandwiched together a bunch of what were very nicely-spaced 2020-2021 trials into the 4th qtr 2021 and 1st qtr 2022. Six jury trials from mid-November to late-February, including 2 or 3 that will, if they go, last a week or two. And I am sure I am not alone amongst San Diego litigators in that regard. Surely, and like always, some will settle out, or get bumped further out, and we don’t really know how solid these civil trial dates are, given the current post-covid criminal trial backlog. They won’t all go, never do. But, we have to be ready to go for our clients, and most of the judicial comments I have heard at recent CMCs, status conferences and hearings are that things have changed, the courts are fully open for business, there are trial back logs to be addressed, and we must assume trial dates are real unless advised otherwise. So, who knows? We, San Diego judges and trial lawyers alike, will see how this all shakes out together. Regardless, its going to be a busy fall and winter for San Diego trial lawyers and for the courts. Not griping, not at all! Good for my patient clients to get their cases back moving towards resolution again, and I am happy to be at back at it for them. It’s good to be back in court, and it will be really good to put my hands on a counsel table, push myself up, stand, answer “Ready”, walk into the well, turn to a jury, and start an opening statement, in a trial, in a courtroom.