It’s a question we’re been hearing every day, “When will the courts re-open?” But a better question may be, how long will it take to process cases once the courts re-open? How long will the backlog be?
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
As of April 21, 2020, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles has announced in a news release, that they are working on launching and testing remote video arraignments. These video arraignments will be used in 17 courthouses, in 32 of their courtrooms. We are taking this as a positive sign that the court would like to keep moving along with cases as they can, and they’re starting to test with criminal defense cases.
According to the news release;
“The new Video Appearance Project is the most recent addition to the remote appearance options the Court has made available to facilitate access to justice while promoting social distancing. The Court also has launched remote appearance technology in all essential Dependency hearings and in Delinquency hearings, to the extent permitted by law. Pilots are under way in other litigation types, including LPS Conservatorships in the Hollywood Courthouse.”
It’s helpful to know that video conferencing is being tested and launched throughout the different courthouses. Perhaps the backlog of cases for once the courts fully open again may not be as long as we once thought.
Superior Court of California, County of San Bernadino
Currently, according to the COVID-19: Courthouse Closure and Hearing Information update from the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernadino, emergency matters are the only hearings happening at this time. They are requesting all other cases and filings please hold until they’re able to fully open their courthouses again. Here are their guidelines as to what constitutes an emergency matter:
If you started your divorce process before the pandemic began, the court will follow up with you via mail with your reschedule date once the court opens again. It is important to start building your case and your paperwork now so that once the courts are fully open, they can process them as soon as possible.
If you have questions or would like to start the paperwork for your case today, we can help. Contact our offices today to learn more or schedule your consultation with our team.
