Trials postponed. Defendants arraigned via Zoom. Lawyers dressed in suits sitting in their living rooms while conducting hearings.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw the running of Massachusetts courts change dramatically. Jury trials were suspended for much of last year and are just getting restarted. Many, if not most, hearings have been conducted remotely. Information that was previously gathered in person now has to be done via email, mail or fax.
Those changes have not been easy for defense attorneys and their clients.
“I think it’s been rough for the courts, but I don’t blame them for any of this,” said Kenneth Gross, a Natick defense attorney. “You’ve had jury trials that were canceled for the year. Now they have a backlog of jury trials, and that’s not the court s fault. It has changed the landscape a lot. You have lawyers who don’t want to go to court because of health concerns. There’s a reluctance to bring defendants to court because of COVID. It’s creati
UpdatedFri, May 7, 2021 at 9:46 am ET
Reply
During the hourlong vigil, speakers called for justice, and people lit candles and placed flowers at the gazebo at the Hopkinton Town Common. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
Mikayla Miller s mother Calvina Strothers (at left) addressing the crowd. (Jenna Fisher/Patch) Mikayla was only 16 years old. She was my bright and shining star in this crazy world, Strothers said. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
A scene from Thursday s vigil for Mikayla Miller. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
A scene from Thursday s vigil for Mikayla Miller. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
A scene from Thursday s vigil for Mikayla Miller. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
A scene from Thursday s vigil for Mikayla Miller. (Jenna Fisher/ Patch)
By Joe Sutton and Rebekah Riess, CNN
Updated 12:01 AM ET, Fri May 7, 2021
Milayla Miller, 16, was found dead April 18. (CNN)The family of a Black 16-year-old is demanding accountability and transparency after authorities announced an investigation into the teenager s death last month in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Mikayla Miller s body was found by a jogger in the woods off a walking path during the early morning of April 18, according to a Tuesday news release from the Middlesex County District Attorney s Office.
The day before, authorities said, the teen s mother made a complaint about her daughter being jumped. The teen reported that she was punched in the face and showed blood in her lip. The investigation into the physical assault remains open and there are no charges so far.
The Horrible Death of Mikayla Miller, a Black LGBTQ+ youth, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts & The Role of a Biased System
By: Audrey Cole/TRT Reporter
MASSACHUSETTS Today, hundreds of people rallied while chanting “say her name” and holding signs reading “Black Lives Matter” once again for a black life taken in the country, this time it was for a Black LGBTQ+ teenager from Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The rally was led by former City Councilor Tito Jackson and Violence in Boston’s Monica Cannon-Grant, according to WBZ Boston.
The body of Mikayla Miller, 16, was found hanging from a tree on April 18 in her suburban hometown, one day after her mother, Calvina Strothers, said she was jumped by a group of five white teenagers.
Here s where the investigation into Mikayla s death stands.
DA releases timeline
Mikayla was found dead about 7:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 18. Ryan s office said at the time that the death was not considered suspicious but the case remained open and active.
She offered details at the news briefing Tuesday based on the preliminary investigation, which has involved dozens of witness interviews, analysis of devices and surveillance video. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan held a news conference on the investigation into the death of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, 16-year-old Mikayla Miller, addressing rumors about the case and promising a full, transparent investigation.
It shows that the teenager was involved in a fight between her and two teenagers in a group of four the day before her death, and that someone Mikayla was in a relationship was present for it, according to Ryan. They were at an unsupervised clubhouse in the apartment complex on Revolution Way where the M