Compressed calendars, delayed trials and remote court hearings became the new reality this week at the Yolo County Courthouse in Woodland, where the doors remain open amid efforts to reduce the number of people who walk through them under the county’s COVID-19 shelter-in-place order.
“We are trying to find the right balance between public safety and access to justice,” Presiding Judge Samuel McAdam said in a conference call Thursday among court officials, judicial leaders and attorney representatives whose caseloads have been upended as a result of the outbreak response.
This week, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye granted the Yolo courts an emergency order allowing the courthouse to remain open but with pared-down calendars that keep building occupancy to a minimum.
With court staff drastically reduced to encourage social distancing, only three of the courthouse’s 14 courtrooms remain open: Department 1, an “all-purpose” criminal court for urgent in-custody matters; Department 2, home to urgent civil, family and probate court hearings in the mornings and in-custody and urgent juvenile cases in the afternoons; and Department 7, for preliminary hearings in urgent criminal cases.
Within the next couple of days, the court expects to implement a video arraignment system for in-custody defendants, and telephonic appearances are being encouraged for other calendared matters except urgent criminal preliminary hearings. Plans also are underway to create “virtual chambers,” allowing attorneys to conference with judges who are working from home.
“The court’s goal is to reduce the footprint at the courthouse and allow people to abide by the shelter-in-place orders,” McAdam said.
As for trials, criminal proceedings are on hold until at least April 15, while civil trials have been continued for seven weeks, “and quite honestly, it could be much longer,” McAdam said.
To that end, Cantil-Sakauye ordered the two-week period of March 17 to April 1 a Yolo Superior Court holiday for the purpose of civil-court filings, according to McAdam. Civil, probate, family, small claims, traffic and child support cases also will see a seven-week delay.
With the courthouse’s clerk windows now closed to protect staff, case filings won’t be accepted in person but can be mailed to the court, although mail is expected to go unopened during the closure period, McAdam said.
Other court matters affected by the modifications include:
* Emergency protective orders: EPOs for domestic violence, elder abuse and stalking can be requested from a law-enforcement agency and will be reviewed and ruled upon by an on-call judge. Meanwhile, the court remains accessible for requests for all restraining orders by applying through the e-mail filing process.
A judge will issue an order and set any necessary hearings 45 days out. All Yolo County judges have the authority to extend by 30 days existing temporary orders set to expire before April 16; court clerks are processing those continuances now and sending notices of new hearing dates.
* Guardianships/conservatorships: Postponed for seven weeks if a temporary order has been issued. Those without temporary orders will remain on calendar and heard via telephonic conference.
* Unlawful detainers: Continued past May 31, under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order halting evictions for renters and homeowners until that date.
* Jury duty: Service has been rescheduled, with citizens receiving their new dates in the mail.
* Self-Help Center: Closed but with staff available to answer emails for self-representing clients (addresses available on the court’s website, www.yolo.courts.ca.gov) in both English and Spanish.
Further adjustments may be forthcoming, including the possibility of expanding courtroom openings if the court can successfully limit the number of visitors, McAdam said. Updates will continue to be posted on the court’s website.
“It’s as if we’re creating a courthouse from scratch — we’re creating access,” McAdam said. “The way to do that is to have as few people as possible come to the courthouse, hold the hearings telephonically or by video, and ensure the safety of the public and staff.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene