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Chief Justice Harold Melton announced Monday that he will sign an order this week extending the emergency from May 13, the current expiration date, until June 12.
From Capitol Beat
Georgia’s coronavirus-prompted judicial emergency is about to be
extended for another month.
Chief Justice Harold Melton announced Monday that he will sign an order
this week extending the emergency from May 13, the current expiration
date, until June 12.
All criminal and civil jury trials will continue to be suspended, and
courts will be barred from summoning and impaneling new trial and grand
juries.
While Georgia businesses are gradually reopening following Gov. Brian
Kemp’s lifting of his shelter-in-place order late last week, Melton said
the courts are different from most private establishments and public places.
“We compel people to attend court proceedings, and that requires us to
be extra cautious,” he said.
Since Melton issued the first judicial emergency order in mid-March,
courts have remained open to handle critical and essential court services.
Under the new extension order, courts will be urged to develop plans for
restoring non-critical operations that can be conducted remotely by
videoconferencing or by maintaining adherence to public health
guidelines. Increasing the use of remote judicial proceedings where
legally permitted is aimed at limiting the backlog once the emergency
order is ended.
The state Supreme Court has set an example by starting to hold hearings
via remote videoconferencing.
Melton has created a special task force to help courts conduct remote
proceedings and develop plans for the safe resumption of more extensive
in-court proceedings, including jury trials and grand jury proceedings.
The task force will include judges from every category of courts, civil
trial lawyers, court clerks and sheriffs.