Judge refuses to limit jury pool based on vaccination status

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A judge says people who are not “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccines cannot be excluded from the jury pool for a criminal trial starting next week.

Judge Joshua Wolson on Friday rejected a request by federal prosecutors in Delaware who had sought to keep out those potential jurors.

The judge said the Constitution guarantees a criminal defendant the right to a trial by an impartial jury drawn from diverse segments of the population.

Prosecutors argued that limiting the jury pool to those who have received a booster shot or a recent initial vaccine would help ensure the safety of trial participants.

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