Federal court expects to hold video sentencing this week

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The federal judicial system currently is in a “holding pattern,” pushing cases off indefinitely as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Like the state courts, the federal courts are shut down, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.

“Basically, they have postponed all court appearances until May,” he said. “Jury trials have been postponed until June.”

Court proceedings, he said, are “pushed off indefinitely. Everything is in a holding pattern until we get definition of how this (the pandemic) is going forward.”

But, Sorrell said, federal officials still are conducting business.

“We’re still open, investigating cases, writing up cases, preparing plea agreements, preparing for trial in some cases,” Sorrell explained. “We’re still doing all the normal things we would do if not for the COVID-19 issue, except going into court.”

Sorrell said he knows of at least three jury trials that have been “pushed off due this COVID-19 issue that were scheduled in March and April.

“They’re now scheduled for June and after.”

One of those cases was the trial of Poplar Bluff resident, James Johnson.

Johnson was to stand trial March 19 for escape from federal custody.

Johnson allegedly attempted to escape from the Cape Girardeau County Jail, where he was being housed after his indictment on the felonies of assault of a federal law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.

“Basically, we’ve just rolled everything over,” Sorrell said. “What had been on the April docket will now be in June.”

Most cases, he said, generally are being continued without a new date set.

Sorrell said appearances by video conference have been allowed in federal courts since about April 1.

The video conferencing, Sorrell said, hasn’t been used much because “everybody wants to see how long this will last and what condition we will be under. No one really knows.”

To date, Sorrell said, he believes the video conferencing has been used for one initial appearance after the person was arrested.

“We’re scheduled for a sentencing by video (this) week; the defendant consented to it,” Sorrell said.

Looking ahead, “it’s going to be difficult once we start back again, but we’ll just have to work our way through it,” Sorrell said.