A pre-recorded streaming VIDEO replay of one session from the February 2021 seminar, 51st Annual Criminal Law program.
Sponsored by Virginia CLE® in cooperation with the Section on Criminal Law of the Virginia State Bar
This panel explores the impact of COVID-19 in the context of emergency powers and constitutional rights. It provides an overview of the law as it now stands regarding the reach of executive power in crisis health situations like a pandemic, and examines how courts have addressed challenges to such powers. It discusses the Virginia General Assembly’s recent attempts to curb the Governor’s use of executive power in the COVID-19 context, as well as the potential criminal liability of those who have attempted to defy the Governor’s orders. It also discusses the serious challenges—legal and practical—posed by the suspension of jury trials and their resumption, examining the impact of these challenges on the accused, the prosecution, and jurors.