Delaware County Courthouse COVID-19 Procedures
The Delaware County Courthouse is open, but it is not business as usual. During this uncertain time, there are procedures in place to minimize any risk associated with COVID-19. When you arrive, you will wait in line to be screened. The line is spaced with people standing approximately six feet apart, and you must wear a mask to enter the building.
When you reach the door, you will be greeted and your temperature will be taken with a no-contact forehead thermometer. You will be asked why you are there and will be told which courtroom you will need to report to. You will be expected to go directly to that courtroom, and if you are in the hallway, courthouse staff may ask why you are there and where you should be.
Only parties and their attorneys will be permitted in the courtroom. If witnesses are required, they must wait outside in their vehicles until they receive a phone call and are told to report to the court room. They will then go through security as indicated above.
In the courtroom, there are plexiglass dividers between the judge’s bench and the witness stand and between other court staff and the courtroom. Parties and attorneys are spaced out from one another and masks should be worn at all times. There are hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in each courtroom, and court staff is wiping down counsel tables between hearings.
While this is a difficult time, we can assist our clients in understanding the precautions that have been implemented to protect all of us in advance of court appearances to minimize any stress or uncertainty.
