The trial for ex-mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, Jasiel Correia, 28, has been delayed for the second time this year. U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock announced that a trial date would not be possible until at least January 2021, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think this is a case that should not anticipate going to trial until at the earliest January, and maybe not then,” Judge Woodlock said. “The trial date previously established is not one that is realistic in light of the pandemic and the continuing state of emergency.”
Defendants who are not being held in custody, like Correia, will have to wait longer to face a jury.
By all accounts, the last five years have been a wild ride for the baby-faced mayor who has been compared to Billy the Kid.
Correia was elected to the mayoral position in 2015 at the age of 23, making him the youngest mayor in Fall River’s history. A Law360 article reported that despite the indictment, he survived a recall election in early 2019.
