Whatcom County courts issue more suspensions on trials, jury duty due to coronavirus
As city and county government offices, businesses and schools are shutting down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Whatcom County courts have made additional changes to court proceedings and trials to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Last week, Whatcom County Superior and District Courts, as well as Bellingham Municipal Court, suspended jury trials through emergency administrative orders. This week, more administrative orders were issued by the courts further halting services.
The following changes have been made to Whatcom County court systems:
Whatcom County Superior Court:
▪ No adult or juvenile criminal trials, including bench trials, will take place until April 24, 2020, unless specifically authorized for extraordinary reasons by the assigned judge. No civil trials will take place until after April 24.
▪ Out-of-custody arraignments are rescheduled until after April 24. Defendants will be issued a summons. In-custody arraignments will be held, except attorneys can choose to appear in the courthouse instead of the jail courtroom.
▪ Attorneys can now sign documents on the signature line for defendants in adult and juvenile criminal cases, with the exception of protection orders.
▪ The court will hear no more than 10 guilty pleas per week on the Wednesday plea calendar. Additional guilty pleas can be scheduled with the approval of a judge.
▪ First appearances are still being held, but defense attorneys will appear in the courthouse instead of the jail courtroom, if they choose. If they don’t appear in the jail courtroom, attorneys must go over all documents with the defendant before court.
▪ Juvenile probation calendars are canceled until after April 24. Urgent matters can be heard at the discretion of a judicial officer.
▪ No juvenile civil matters, such as truancy or at-risk youth, will be heard before April 24. Youth brought into detention will be immediately released with a promise to appear at a date after April 24.
▪ Shelter care hearings can be scheduled on dependency matters, but no other hearings are held until after April 24, unless specifically authorized for extraordinary reasons by a judicial officer.
▪ For temporary orders, only motions pertaining to emergency issues regarding child visitation or primary residence will be heard between now and April 24. A judicial officer will determine whether the motion is emergency, but can also strike a motion that isn’t, continue it until after April 24, decide the motion on pleadings, or schedule a hearing where the parties will appear by phone or in person.
▪ Court commissioners will continue to review protection order petitions to determine whether a temporary order is warranted. Commissioners will then determine whether to schedule a hearing within 28 days.
More information can be found on the court’s website.
Whatcom County District Court
▪ No criminal trials, bench or jury, will be held before April 24, unless specifically authorized for extraordinary reasons by the assigned trial judge.
▪ All jurors are released from service for the weeks of March 16, March 23 and March 30.
▪ In-custody first appearances will be held via video feed from the jail courtroom to a designated courtroom in the courthouse.
▪ Out-of-custody first appearances and arraignments will be rescheduled until after April 24.
▪ Unless pre-approved by the assigned judicial officer, the court will only hear in-custody matters or motions related to no-contact orders and confession and suppression hearings.
▪ Probation calendars are canceled until after April 24.
▪ The domestic violence calendar will still be heard.
▪ Civil trials will not be heard.
▪ Infraction hearings, such as for traffic tickets, will still be heard. But if the respondent or attorneys don’t want to appear for a hearing set before April 24, the hearing will automatically be reset for a date after April 24. A summons will be sent with the new date.
More information can be found on the court’s website.
Bellingham Municipal Court restrictions are the same since last week, according to the court administrator.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
