Restrictions at Washington County Courthouse extended through March
Restrictions at the Washington County Courthouse will continue through the end of March after President Judge Katherine Emery signed an order Wednesday to extend precautions limiting the spread of COVID-19.
Emery reinstated several restrictions at the courthouse and district magistrate office Nov. 13 through an administrative order that halted jury trials and only allowed for essential proceedings, such as preliminary hearings for jailed suspects.
The new order extends those and other additional restrictions until March 31.
Only direct participants in the legal proceedings will be permitted inside the courtroom, meaning family and friends may have to wait outside the courthouse. People must also arrive 15 minutes prior to the proceeding, and members of the media will be allowed to attend only at the discretion of the presiding judge.
Video conferencing is recommended to be used in most cases, according to Emery’s order. In-person formal arraignments for criminal charges are suspended for the time being, although it appears video conferencing for jailed suspects is expected to continue.
Jury trials are canceled through Jan. 31, and Emery has suspended the Rule 600 requirement that defendants must be tried within a year of charges being brought, barring any delays by the defense.
The county’s row offices, such as the prothonotary, domestic relations, clerk of courts and register of wills, will remain open, although electronic filing is encouraged when possible.
The restrictions are similar to when Emery effectively shut down the county courthouse in mid-March for nearly three months as COVID-19 cases spiked over the spring. The restrictions were eased for most of the summer until Emery reinstated them in mid-November.