We fight your case like it's ours. And, our concern for our clients does not stop there. We believe we have an obligation to protect our client's health, to the degree possible, when they are required to appear in person. Thus, Phillip Crawford takes issue with those few judges who have refused to wear masks as required by the CDC and virtually all health professionals. (See Monterey County Weekly article) (See also National College of Criminal Defense Lawyer's position on re-opening courts during COVID).
Mr. Crawford, along with eight other defense attorneys, wrote the presiding judge, stating, in part: "a judge who takes the bench without a mask is endangering the public. The scientific evidence suggests that a single asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus in a poorly ventilated room (such as one of our courtrooms) can spread the virus throughout the room, regardless of any plexiglass barriers or six feet of separation."
A particular concern is that, during jury trials, which Monterey County continues to hold (while surrounding counties with lower COVID rates do not), large groups of people are enclosed in a windowless, poorly ventilated room for hours at a time. This is a recipe for disaster. (Read here about the dangers of speech droplets in enclosed spaces and COVID)
