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With virus raging, Winfield trial delayed indefinitely

News File Photo Former Alpena Public Schools teacher Heather Winfield, accused of having sex with a student, appears in court via videoconference in this July 2020 News file photo.

ALPENA — The trial of Heather Winfield, a former Alpena Public Schools teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student, will be postponed indefinitely, Judge Roy Hayes, of Charlevoix, decided today.

Winfield denies the accusations. The News does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

The trial, most recently slated for the beginning of February after being rescheduled several times since September 2019, will have to wait until coronavirus infections stabilize in the state, said Hayes, who is presiding over the trial because of scheduling conflicts with Alpena County judges.

The decision was made during a hearing today held via videoconference.

Both sides agreed the delay is unavoidable.

The trial is expected to require a pool of more than 100 potential jurors, and it’s impossible to predict how current infection trends will affect courts’ ability to hold large trials in coming months, attorneys said.

Alpena County courts recently returned to a limit of 10 people in the courtroom because of increasing infections among county residents. Hearings will continue via videoconference.

All December trials in the 26th Circuit Court have been postponed, but the court is delaying decisions about 2021 trials, according to Cynthia Muszynski, Alpena County prosecutor.

Winfield’s trial was delayed this fall when defense attorneys requested extra time to study evidence that arrived days before the trial was scheduled to begin on Oct. 19.

Parties plan to meet again in January to evaluate the possibility of setting a new date for the trial.

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