How Local Court System is adapting to COVID-19 and Gradual Reopening

How Local Court System is adapting to COVID-19 and Gradual Reopening

Potential suspects in the investigation.

As businesses reopen, so are local government services.

This includes local courts and the judicial system.

News 10's dominic miranda spoke with a vigo county judge today.

He joins us now with more on their plan to slowly re-opening in the coming weeks.

Pk} i spoke with judge john roach of the vigo superior court division one.

He told me the courts haven't really closed...simply because they can't shut down.

The show must go on.

They "have"...however..

Changed the way they do their business... and are working on a phased return to normal operations.

[take vo] v} judge roach says the plan for this return is due to the indiana supreme court by may 30th.

They have already started meeting with the vigo county sheriff's department to address safety precautions.

They've met with the vigo county commissioners..health department..prosecutor's office..public defender's office... and the terre haute bar association.

It's all in an effort to develop a plan to return to a normal schedule of operations.

Currently...part of what's changed is that they have stopped jury trials until at least july 1st.

Judge roach says part of their plan is to ensure safety measures are in place when court staff...jurors..and the public can return to the courthouse.

"we take that call very seriously when we ask citizens to come in here and perform their civic duty as jurors.

It is essential to our operation, but before we call them in here to do that, we want to make sure that we have the proper safety measures in place."

Judge roach says the courthouse has continued conducting hearings via video or phone calls.

He says there hasn't been a "backlog" because they are continuing to file cases electronically.

Once they submit their plan to the indiana supreme court...they will get the process moving to return to normal in phases moving forward.

In terre haute..

I'm dominic miranda..

News 10 tonight a 20 percent tonight