Cook County’s chief judge has extended the COVID-induced shutdown of nearly all county court proceedings until mid-May, at the earliest, and this time will close some courthouses, while also requiring virtually all remaning activity to be conducted by videoconference.
On March 30, Judge Timothy Evans, chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, issued a new order, expanding on his earlier order, which had already severely limited activities in the county’s court system. The earlier order had been scheduled to expire on April 15.
In the new order, Judge Evans generally ordered all matters pending before the county’s judiciary continued until May 18, at the earliest. According to the order, virtually all civil and criminal cases would then be rescheduled for new hearings during the 30 days that follow, generally from May 18 to June 17.
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans
Further, the order expands the county courts’ use of video conferencing technology, now requiring judges and most court personnel to work remotely “except as necessary” or if they are among employees deemed “essential for essential court operations.” While judges must be available for emergency matters or matters that require immediate action, those proceedings are to be conducted by video conference or even teleconferences, the order said.
However, those wishing to observe the video conferences and teleconferences would still need to go to the courthouse, as the video- and teleconferences will be able to monitored in open court, a spokesman for the chief judge said in response to a question from the Cook County Record, to clarify public access concerns.
Gatherings in the courtrooms will still be limited to no more than 10 people, and must be only those who are “essential to activities that require that person to be in the courtroom.” The order does not state who will determine which participants are “essential to activities … in the courtroom.”
Criminal jury trials already in progress will proceed as scheduled, Judge Evans said, as well as all criminal preliminary hearings and arraignments, and hearings related to plea agreements.
The order also slaps a hold on all evictions and home foreclosure actions until the courts resume a more normal operational schedule.
All traffic and misdemeanor cases are continued until May 18 or later.
And the judge ordered that no new grand juries can be empaneled before May 18.
Grand juries that are already in operation will be continued until May 15, the order said.
order also closes three court facilities from April 6 through May 18: the Chicago branch courts at 5555 W. Grand Ave., 727 E. 111th St. and 3150 W. Flournoy St. Any emergency matters in those cases will be heard at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
“As we continue to monitor the spread of the coronavirus, these actions are needed to protect public health,” Judge Evans said in a prepared statement. “Our system of justice must continue to hear all necessary and urgent matters, and today’s order balances access to justice with the need for social distancing. I commend everybody in the justice system for carrying out their respective missions during this unprecedented time. Though the days ahead present more uncertainty than clarity, we will perform our respective duties safely and effectively.”
The judge said he crafted the order in consultation with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli, as well as Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago.