Survivors of Homicide Inc.<\/a>, said that navigating the criminal justice system is typically difficult for survivors, but COVID-19 has made it harder.<\/p>\n\u201cThe criminal justice process in itself is a long process, without the impact of something like COVID,\u201d said Hintz, who has been working directly with the Lindquist family throughout the trial for Correa and his sister, Ruth Correa, who was also convicted in the murders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe COVID pandemic has exacerbated the already elongated criminal justice process,\u201d said Hintz. Though the experience is different for every survivor, she said that \u201clogic and common sense would say that it just adds to the emotional stress and drain of these families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survivors of Homicide, which helps people whose loved ones have been killed in homicides navigate the court system, and offers emotional support during court hearings and trials, said that the act of returning to courtrooms over and over can, in itself, be a traumatizing experience for victims. If they think they\u2019re heading to court for the last time to see a defendant sentenced, and then have that date changed, it can amplify their stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn many cases they don’t want to go back to these courthouses, it\u2019s too emotional, so a sentencing date can be kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel for these folks,\u201d Hintz said. \u201cAnd then to have it delayed, it\u2019s another trip down there and that can be so emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric Lindquist, whose parents and brother were killed in the home invasion and arson, said having the sentencing delayed due to COVID-19 did not make things harder for him emotionally, it made things harder logistically. He and many friends and family members who packed the courtroom during the trial had planned to be in court this week, and it was an inconvenience to make changes to work schedules.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t the first time the case was affected\u00a0by COVID-19 and caused schedules to change.<\/p>\n
Sergio Correa\u2019s trial originally had been scheduled to begin back in March 2020, just days before the jury trials were suspended statewide due to the pandemic. Court closures pushed back his trial by 20 months, and he didn’t face a jury until November 2021.<\/p>\n
Jury selection for the case took six weeks, with attorneys on both sides asking prospective jurors a slew of questions about their comfort being in a courtroom during the pandemic and wearing masks for long periods of time. Masks and face shields were worn through most of the trial, with plastic partitions set up throughout the courtroom for added protection.<\/p>\n
Eric Lindquist said the masks and plexiglass were the hardest part of going through a trial during a pandemic.<\/p>\n
Plexiglass partitions were set up in front of the judge and witness stand. Lindquist expressed concerns during the trial that the partitions at times made it difficult to hear the court proceedings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an unnecessary alteration of the courtroom that made conducting business that much harder,\u201d Lindquist said.<\/p>\n
Wearing masks for full days in court during the lengthy trial was difficult, too. \u201cIt made an already awful experience just that much worse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Stephen Carney, who prosecuted the case against Sergio Correa, said state prosecutors are working to quickly tackle the backlog that built up during COVID-19 shutdowns.<\/p>\n
Since courts reopened, Carney said he and his colleagues have been making their way through the trial list as quickly as court space and time for allows. \u201cThere’s an awful lot of cases \u2014 we were shut down for a considerable amount of time \u2014\u00a0and we are aware that people are waiting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, who oversees New London Superior Court Part A where major crimes are heard, said court\u00a0officials started calling homicide cases as soon as they could after reopening.<\/p>\n
Although there\u2019s no real closure for folks impacted by homicide, Strackbein said she\u2019d been keeping in mind that \u201cthey need the cases to be over,\u201d and is prioritizing murder cases above other criminal cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re extremely aware of how hard this is for victims and families and I\u2019m trying to move them as quickly as we can,\u201d she said of the backlog of 20 murder cases that developed during the COVID-19 shutdown.<\/p>\n
The case of David Carson Edwards, who is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Joshua Fine in New London in April 2018, was first postponed earlier this year after the Connecticut Department of Correction reported that Edwards was in a quarantine unit but wouldn\u2019t say specifically if he had the COVID-19 virus, according to court officials.<\/p>\n
Jury selection in his case was rescheduled to start on Feb. 14 but was moved again for COVID-19-related reasons.<\/p>\n
State\u2019s Attorney Paul Narducci, who is prosecuting that case, said he has seen the most significant impact of the pandemic on victims and survivors in their inability to be in the courtroom for a lot of important proceedings that have been held virtually.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure that the victims feel like they’re an important part of the process and when a lot of things are being done virtually, it’s harder for them to be part of the process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Narducci said he recognizes that for some victims and survivors, being a part of the process is a part of their healing.<\/p>\n
He said it\u2019s also been difficult to hold trials while keeping everyone safe during the pandemic, and mask requirements have posed some problems. During a trial, he said, it\u2019s important not only to hear what a witness says \u201cbut to see how they say it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when people are masked up, it\u2019s difficult to read somebody\u2019s face or body language,\u201d he said. The court tried to find a middle ground, he said, by using or offering clear plastic shields.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Judicial Branch did the best job humanly possible,\u201d Narducci said.<\/p>\n
When COVID-19 vaccines weren\u2019t yet available, and during times when coronavirus test\u00a0positivity rates have been high, Narducci said it\u2019s been a difficult task to plan and carry out trials. \u201cYou couldn’t come up with a long-term plan because the ground was continuously shifting beneath us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we\u2019re going back to the point where we’re going to be predominantly opened up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sergio\u00a0and Ruth Correa are scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, according to court records as of Thursday evening.<\/p>\n
Jury selection continued Thursday for Edwards in New London Superior Court Part A.<\/p>\n
t.hartz@theday.com<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n