First, the local news WIZS has learned from the Clerk of Court in Vance County, the Hon. Henry L. Gupton. This information from Gupton replaces all other local information for Vance County you may have read or heard. Updated 12-11-2020 at 4:45pm.
Gupton said, “After talking with our judges per notification we have received from (the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts) in Raleigh, beginning on Monday, December 14th and continuing for 30 days, all of our District Court Sessions have been cancelled.
“However, we will be conducting 96-hr, 48-hr hearings and any other statutory cases that need to be heard. All defendants will be notified in reference to a new court date. Also we have Superior Court scheduled for next week beginning on Monday. However Monday is cancelled. We are going to leave Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday open right now to determine if we will proceed with those days. We do have our Grand Jury scheduled to convene on Wednesday. That will go on as scheduled. Also, we will be holding our Small Claims Court session as scheduled.”
Second now for the wider area, a press release from the North Carolina Judicial Branch as the Chief Justice has announced postponement of many court proceedings for 30 days.
Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced today that North Carolina Courts will postpone non-essential, in-person court proceedings for 30 days, beginning Monday, December 14.
“In light of the recent surge of new COVID-19 cases in North Carolina and in our courts, this pause is necessary to protect the health and safety of our court personnel and the public,” said Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. “Throughout the pandemic, we have moved an unprecedented amount of court work online, including hearings. Those efforts will allow us to limit in-person proceedings for the next few weeks while making sure our courts stay available to serve the public.”
In recent weeks, the number of North Carolina counties categorized as “red” or “orange” by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has more than doubled. More than 80 counties are experiencing substantial or critical community spread of COVID-19. This recent surge in COVID-19 cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations has strained court operations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Judicial Branch officials and employees have reported 291 confirmed positive cases, and over half of North Carolina’s county courthouses have been partially or completely closed due to COVID-19. Eleven of the courthouse closures have occurred in this week alone.
Community spread of COVID-19 is expected to peak through the winter, and it is imperative that court operations remain as limited as possible through the next 30 days. Fortunately, court operations are typically reduced through the end of the calendar year even under normal conditions. With few jury trials scheduled and courts conducting many proceedings remotely, the impact on court dockets should be minimal.
“I am gravely concerned with the recent surge in positive cases, but with this new directive, I am confident that potential exposures will be significantly reduced if we work together to adhere to health and safety guidelines,” said the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice is expected to enter an order in the coming days to renew existing Emergency Directives and implement the Emergency Directive announced today.
In addition to today’s announcement, Chief Justice Beasley called a meeting of the Judicial Branch COVID-19 Task Force to discuss emergency directives and policy changes related to the COVID-19 health emergency. The Task Force will meet from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2020. The media and the public are invited to attend the online meeting via Webex.
To view a list of previous orders from the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court of North Carolina, please visit the continuously updated Coronavirus (COVID-19) announcement page. The public is encouraged to visit NCcourts.gov to find answers to frequently asked questions before calling the local courthouse. Announcements from local counties about changes to court operations can be found on the county page as well as the closings and advisories page. The public may also visit the Judicial Branch Facebook page and Twitter account to access information related to the coronavirus health concern.