Bexar County district court judge prepares for return of live jury trials

SAN ANTONIO – In-person jury trials will resume next month in Bexar County, ending a 15-month moratorium on jury service and the return of busy courtrooms as judges begin to address a huge case backlog as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

”What I have started to do is narrow down the cases that are going to be a priority,” 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza said Tuesday.

Meza has begun conducting in-person pretrial hearings in cases that she plans to try initially.

”As judges, we have to have our cases ready,” Meza said. “That involves the parties being here in person having their pretrial matters ruled on, so that we don’t have to worry about those issues when the (jury) panel is here.”

Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel has issued a trial schedule that will be implemented on May 28 in advance of jury trials that will begin June 1.

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