Mar 16, 2020 2 min read

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared a general statewide judicial emergency Monday as common pleas courts issued county-specific orders to comply.

According to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the emergency declaration allowed the president judge of each county to authorize and declare individual judicial emergencies starting on Monday and running to April 14.

Washington County’s order limits public access to courtrooms and court-related offices to: court employees and employees of court-related offices; jurors, attorneys, litigants, witnesses, victims and participants in judicial proceedings before both the common pleas and magisterial district court; people with a bona fide business before a court or court-related office; attorney, litigants or their representatives filing documents or making payments in various offices including adult probation, juvenile probation, domestic relations, custody office and court administration, and members of the media. It also limits public access to its court of common pleas.

Magisterial district courts will also run with limited access. The changes will remain in effect for two weeks.

The order for the court of common pleas also implemented operating procedures including all communications and inquiries to the court be made by telephone and not in person; all litigants or counsel are to contact the presiding judge’s chamber a day prior to a proceeding for confirmation and coordinate procedure involving that case.

Also, the Rule of Criminal Procedure 600, which constitutionally protects a defendant’s right for a speedy trial, is suspended for that period. The order states that constitutionally protected right will continue to be upheld, but a delay attributed to the judiciary for the prevention of the coronavirus will be excluded in the defendant’s calculation of time prior to trial.

The Greene County Court of Common Pleas declared an emergency through March 23 that is similar to the Washington County order.

For additional information, contact the Office of District Court Administration at www.greenepacourts.us or email courtadministration@greenpacourts.us.