Washtenaw County’s district courts will remain closed to the public for the time being, even as many other local government offices and business plan to re-open today.
They’ve been ordered to follow a stricter re-opening process determined by Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office.
It divides re-opening into four 14-day phases and only permits a court to move to the next phase if the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline, and the local health department agrees with the decision.
The Magistrate of the 14-B District Court in Washtenaw County, Mark Nelson, says they’re currently in Phase 1, and, under this system, the general public will not be allowed back into the courthouse until Phase 3.
“Through Phases 1 and 2, we’ll continue to primarily do what we’ve been doing since the beginning, which is handle as much as possible via video or via electronic means,” Nelson says.
Nelson says, despite the closure, people can still access the court’s services online. They just can’t enter the physical courthouse.
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— Taylor Pinson is a writer/reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him studio@wemu.org
