Due to safety concerns around COVID-19, the county court system has postponed and rescheduled most hearings. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the court is working on a new way to hear cases that will provide a safe environment for the accused, the attorneys and court staff, victims, and the judge…
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the court system, the District Attorney’s office began looking at new ways to ensure that criminal cases were heard but still provide a safe environment for district attorney personnel, victims and witnesses, as well as for the defendants, their attorneys, court personnel, law enforcement, and the judges. The solution was to hold pre-preliminary hearings via a video conferencing platform between the jails and the courtrooms.
Rather than transporting defendants on a jail bus close to other inmates and sheriff’s deputies, defendants are escorted to a room, where they attend their court hearings via video. All parties to the court hearing, such as the defense and prosecuting attorneys, and the judge, are on video as well. So far, the new video conferencing system has received overwhelming support from all involved.
