Apr 1, 2020 2 min read

In keeping with her declaration of judicial emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington County President Judge Katherine B. Emery canceled the trial terms in both April and May.

Any potential jurors who have received summonses for April 13 or 20 and May 11 and 18 should not report to the courthouse, and they can consider their service completed.

Postponed jury trials will be rescheduled by the judge assigned to the case.

Emery directed Court Administrator Patrick Grimm to amend the court calendar “as soon as practicable” to reschedule the trial terms that were canceled.

“The court finds it necessary to enter this order because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” Emery wrote in an administrative order filed Tuesday with the prothonotary.

Grimm advised the judge his office would normally begin summoning jurors for the May trial term within the next five business days, “and the court finds that doing so is likely to cause undue stress and hardship to potential jurors and an inefficient use of fiscal and judicial resources.”

Washington County Courthouse is open to handle emergencies and urgent matters, but row offices are working with reduced staff and those who enter the building face questioning by sheriff’s deputies as to their purpose for being there.