State courts will reduce the business they handle and the number of people who visit courthouses effective immediately as the state and nation work to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Courthouses will remain open.
Trials already underway will continue and criminal trials scheduled due to speedy trial motions that have been granted will also continue.
But new civil and criminal jury trials will be delayed for 30 days, effective immediately, the Judicial Branch announced Thursday afternoon. The move will sharply limit the number of people who visit state courthouses.
Jurors who have questions can contact jury administration through the Judicial Branch website, or by calling 800-842-8175.
Also, beginning Monday and continuing through March 27, only priority court business will be conducted. Priority matters include criminal case arraignments, domestic violence case arraignments, juvenile detention hearings, family court relief from abuse applications and hearings, civil application for relief from abuse applications, civil protection orders, temporary custody orders and other high-priority items.
That means routine court appearances for pending criminal, motor vehicle and other cases will not take place between Monday and March 27.
The Division of Criminal Justice has asked prosecutors to take steps to help limit the spread of the virus, such as continuing cases administratively so defendants do not have to come to courthouses, screening infractions to reduce the number of people who come to courthouses and thinking about whether criminal cases require a person to be held in lieu of bail since new admissions to the Department of Correction run the risk of introducing the virus to people who are incarcerated.
The federal courts have continued all civil and criminal jury selection and jury trials through at least April 10 in response to the virus.
Some lawyers, because of concern about the virus, have raised the issue in trials. Defense attorney Hubert J. Santos, who is in the midst of jury selection for the Richard Dabate murder trial in Superior Court in Rockville, asked a judge two weeks ago to delay the trial because of the coronavirus. He expressed concern jurors would be hesitant to serve, or be in a rush to reach a verdict, out of fear of being in a small room with several people. The judge declined to do so at the time, but said the matter could be brought up later.
And on Thursday, defense attorney Norm Pattis asked a judge to delay the start of jury selection for an assault case he is scheduled to start on Monday in Superior Court in New Haven because of concern about the virus.
David Owens can be reached at dowens@courant.com.
