ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — Courts in Allegheny County will reopen Monday after being closed for more than two months, causing delays in thousands of local cases.
The court of common pleas and city court are set to resume Monday, but court proceedings amid the COVID-19 pandemic will look and feel a lot different. Day-to-day court business will be conducted in fewer courtrooms and with limited seating to maintain social distancing.
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The first thing noticeably different is the time it may take to simply pass through security. Employees, staff and the public will have to maintain social distancing during entry, which could force lines to extend outside.
Plexiglass shields are also going to be installed in selective courtrooms in the court of common please. The barriers, which will be transparent, will allow six feet between the bench and the witness stand.
For the past few months, most court business has been conducted “virtually,” and some court proceedings like arraignments may continue that way. Trials are set to resume but without juries -- and space in the courtroom will be prioritized to those who have business with the court.
There are still the same number of seats inside each courtroom at the court of common pleas, but every other one is taped off -- allowing the required six feet between each person and keeping to the state’s guidelines of only 25 people allowed inside.
For now, only bench trials will be performed. A date for jury trials to resume has not yet been determined.
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