Asbestos Defendant Seeks Help From Calif. Supreme Court in Dispute over Requiring Masks During Voir Dire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –– An asbestos defendant contesting a lower court’s decision to require prospective jurors to wear masks during voir dire has sought review from California’s highest court, maintaining its position that doing so will hide the appearance and reactions of potential jurors.

Fryer-Knowles Inc. filed a petition for review with request for stay on July 9 in the California Supreme Court. The request for relief from a lower court order requiring prospective jurors to wear masks was filed the same day an intermediate appellate court denied relief to the asbestos defendant.

In the July 8 petition filed with …