Because of COVID-19, we have an additional layer of concern for those attending the various courts in Perry County.  

WHO CAN COME IN THE COURTROOM:

The law provides that general sessions court is open to the public, whether it is criminal, civil, and juvenile delinquent matters. While the juvenile dependence and neglect matters are closed to the public because of the privacy of the juvenile, now we have an additional layer of complexity because of COVID precautions. 

In addition to guidelines on what to do with the covid and how to conduct court, we are trying to stop the spread of covid. So what that means is we may still limit who comes in the courtroom if there is a potential to spread the covid or expose somebody to covid. So inmates don't come in the General Sessions courtroom anymore. They are connected mostly by Zoom unless we have a hearing to that particular one inmate.  We try to spread people around in the courtroom so depending on how many defendants we might have on the docket, we might not allow supporters to come in to the courtroom because we have to allow for court staff and defendant's witnesses to have enough space in the courtroom to still protect them as much as we can.

The court system encourages us to hold sessions remotely as we can. So Zoom courtroom schedules are often part of what we do. Grants updated the audio and video systems that help us to hold Zoom hearings whenever we need to, and anybody is welcome to have a Zoom hearing if they are afraid to come into the courtroom in person. All they have to do is request this to be done through Judge Moore's assistant or the Clerk's office, and they can be given a link.

We do have checks downstairs at the point of entry to check on signs of exposure or having Covid and checking their temperature so if they are turned down to enter the Courthouse that morning, they can either have a continuance order or have a Zoom opportunity so they can go to their car, their house, whatever, and hop on a link and still have their hearing. That is always available at this point. So if anybody is interested, all they have to do is ask a Zoom link be given to them.

We prefer to have 24-48 hour notice, but it's not set in stone because if they come in that morning not realizing they have that option and see the people in the courtroom, and they feel they aren't comfortable, they can choose on the spot. Judge Moore may ask them to leave immediately because if they say they don't feel well and their husband has been tested, but doesn't have the results back yet,  it isn't advisable for them to stay and infect anyone else. Then we can do a Zoom link or get a continuance.

PRECAUTIONS BEING TAKEN IN AND CURING THE COURTROOM HEARINGS:

Every table has more than one bottle of hand sanitizer.  Staff sanitize the tables and chairs continuously all day of court.  And if anyone feels the least bit like they may have the virus, no one is penalized.  That's when the word Zoom has a whole new meaning these days.