After two months, courts in Hamilton County are starting to ease their restrictions on in-person proceedings, some more so than others and at different paces. But accommodations for public access still are either nonexistent or limiting in most courtrooms.
Since March 13, most in-person court proceedings – for criminal, civil and juvenile courts – have been put on hold after the Tennessee Supreme Court declared a state of emergency for the state’s judicial branch in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult for the public to view proceedings. Similar scenarios have played out across the country.
In Tennessee, the state’s highest court has since asked each judicial district to submit a plan for how its respective courts plan to gradually re-open.
Overall, most of Hamilton County’s larger courts – criminal, general sessions (civil and criminal divisions), circuit and chancery – are continuing to emphasize a preference for remote proceedings.
Social distancing guidelines and a plan for regular disinfecting are included in each plan, and each court is encouraging the use of protective gear, but not all are requiring it.