Smart Talk Tuesday: Federal justice system adapts to pandemic; Speaking grief

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar was formerly the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

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Like everyone else, the federal court system has had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Middle District of Pennsylvania, that means jury selections and jury trials in both civil and criminal cases have been continued. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the accused a speedy trial. Does continuing criminal cases jeopardize the right to a speedy trial?

Tuesday’s Smart Talk addresses the federal courts during the pandemic with Judge John Jones, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Middle District U.S. Attorney David Freed; and Chief Federal Public Defender for the Middle District Heidi Freese.

Also, it’s safe to say that more people than normal are grieving the death of a loved one in 2020 considering 160,000 people have died in the U.S. from the novel coronavirus since February.

However, grief is not a subject many people know how to discuss.

Smart Talk will have a conversation about grief on Tuesday’s program with Patti Anewalt, PhD, Director of the Pathways Center for Grief & Loss with Hospice & Community Care in Lancaster .

Watch the documentary Speaking Grief  that explores the transformative experience of losing a family member in a death- and grief-avoidant society, Thursday, August 13, at 8 p.m. on WITF-TV.