LA County Court System Begins Ramping Up Operations
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles County Superior Court system will begin increasing operations Monday after being forced to scale back in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mental health, juvenile dependency and delinquency, writs and receivers, complex civil and personal injury and settlement courtrooms will resume full operations Monday.
Probate, civil and family law courtrooms will resume expanded operations.
There will be several health and safety protocols. People must have an appointment to enter a courthouse. Plastic/acrylic sheeting and enhanced sanitizing will be in place and face masks will be required. People who come to a courthouse without a face covering are being provided a temporary one.
The appellate division will resume full operations June 25. The criminal division will begin a phased expansion July 6.
In most cases, judicial officers can require remote appearances through one of two programs: LACourtConnect and Webex.
LACourtConnect will be available first to cases involving civil settlements and probate matters beginning June 22.
Throughout the rest of the summer, the program will launch in phases for all limited civil, unlimited civil and complex, family law and traffic courtrooms, according to the court.
Webex will be expanded to new litigation areas and added to more criminal courtrooms, with remote appearance technology expected in 580 courtrooms by the end of August, according to the court.
"As we go deeper into the phased recovery allowed by state and county public health officials, the Court has a gradual approach to assure safe access to justice in the nation's largest trial court," Presiding Judge Brazile said in a statement earlier this month. "We are going to take this COVID-19 recovery slowly and carefully with the help of remote courtroom technology, mandatory use of masks/facial coverings, social distancing protocols and barriers, enhanced cleaning, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and signs to direct visitors where to stand. We are doing all we can to re-open our doors safely to restore access to justice in Los Angeles County."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
