The court’s administrator Steven Hollon says the courthouse will be lifting the mask and social distancing requirements today, the same day Governor Mike DeWine plans to lift most of his health orders in regards to COVID-19.
Hollon said each judge may have their own protocols from courtroom to courtroom, but the expectation is that they will follow the new standard.
“These notices will be clearly posted within the courtroom,” the court’s website says.
The common pleas court handles felony criminal cases and civil cases when a large amount of money is disputed. The coronavirus pandemic has made a large impact on the local justice system and the speed in which cases worked their way through the system.
A number of trials, including murder trials, were continued multiple times due to the pandemic. Attorneys, when asking for a continuance, often cited the complexities of holding a trial that is safe for jurors, parties and courtroom staff.
And while the orders the Montgomery County judges issued postponing most jury trials did allow them some flexibility to determine whether it was safe and necessary for a trial to take place, many of the cases were postponed.
There have been jury trials regularly over the last several weeks since those orders expired. A jury convicted Chaz Gillilan of murder a couple of weeks ago and another jury convicted Anthony Gause of murder last week. The men are due back in court later this month for sentencing hearings.
This week there are four jury trials that are scheduled for this week.
The Montgomery County court isn’t the only courthouse in the region that is eliminating its mask mandates. An order from the Warren County judges says that effective May 20, masks were no longer required in the courthouse.
It says that they are permitted, but must be removed at the direction of judges. It also says that people with fever or experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 should not enter the courtroom.
Messages were left but not returned for officials from the Greene County Common Pleas Court, the Preble County Common Pleas Court and the Miami County Common Pleas Court.
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