The Office of Court Administration has published extended guidelines for being able to have “in-person” court. Local Administrative District Judges must get their updated plans in and approved in order to hold any proceedings in person.
Deadline extended to January 11
As detailed in the last update, OCA updated its Guidance for All Court Proceedings During COVID-19 Pandemic on December 17 to require local administrative district judges (LADJs) and presiding judges of municipal courts (MPJs) to re-certify their operating plans to include: 1) after consultation with the local public health authority, whether local pandemic conditions are conducive to holding in-person hearings and 2) to identify the criteria courts will use to determine when to conduct in-person hearings. Based upon feedback from LADJs and MPJs, OCA and the regional presiding judges (RPJs) have developed the attached template for the re-certification. The RPJs have approved a template and suggest that no modifications to it be made. Should a LADJ or MPJ wish to modify the template to make it more restrictive, the LADJ or MPJ should notate any changes to expedite consideration of the changes. Changes which are inconsistent with the template will likely be rejected as inconsistent with the requirements of the Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders and OCA Guidance. [more in the article]
Source: TJB | Court Coronavirus Information | Court Guidance
Other updates
- Vaccinations for Judiciary
- Supreme Court Extends, with Modifications, Texas Eviction Diversion Program
- Supreme Court Extends Emergency Order implementing CDC Eviction Moratorium through January 31
- Supreme Court Establishes Remote Proceeding Task Force
