Published on:
Jun. 2, 2026
As the COVID-19 pandemic started to abate, the U.S. District Court for the Virgin Islands resumed in-person hearings, with some restrictions. In one such instance, drug traffickers who go by "Bogus" and "Crumbull" challenge their convictions, arguing that the exclusion of observers from the courtroom during parts of the opening and later portions of the trial violated their right to a public trial. The government argues the exclusions were trivial, since the trial was remotely viewable from an overflow room. Third Circuit: Their rights were violated, but neither of them sufficiently objected "squarely," and they received a fair trial. Convictions affirmed.
The case is United States v. Girard et. al., No. 24-2097 (3d Cir. May 26, 2026).
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