Adopted Date: | 07/29/2020 |
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Effective Date: | 08/03/2020 |
Updates: | Entered July 29, 2020, effective August 3, 2020 |
Repealing and replacing Second Order Regarding Access to State Courthouses & Court Facilities effective August 3, 2020.
Adopted Date: | 07/29/2020 |
---|---|
Effective Date: | 08/03/2020 |
Updates: | Entered July 29, 2020, effective August 3, 2020 |
Repealing and replacing Second Order Regarding Access to State Courthouses & Court Facilities effective August 3, 2020.
In light of continuing public health concerns arising from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), pursuant to its superintendence authority, issues the following ORDER.
Effective August 3, 2020, this Order shall repeal and replace the Order Regarding Access to State Courthouses & Court Facilities, which was issued on July 7, 2020 and effective on July 13, 2020.
This Order applies to (a) litigants, attorneys, witnesses, jurors, law enforcement personnel, contractors, vendors, media, and other members of the public when in or seeking entry to a Massachusetts state courthouse or other state court facility, including a probation office or a building that is temporarily being used for court proceedings (courthouse); and (b) non-court personnel whose place of work is in a courthouse (e.g., employees of a Registry of Deeds or the Social Law Library) whenever they are in the courthouse but outside of their immediate place of work. It does not apply to court personnel, who, instead, must comply with health and safety protocols established by the Trial Court or the relevant appellate court, as applicable, when in or seeking entry to a courthouse.
In addition to complying with this Order, persons entering courthouses must comply with all other court orders regarding entry during the pandemic. See, e.g., Third Updated Order Regarding Court Operations Under The Exigent Circumstances Created By The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic, which, as of July 13, 2020, limits entry to persons who are present for one or more of the following purposes: attending in-person court proceedings; conducting in-person business with a clerk's, register's, or recorder's office; meeting with a probation officer or probation staff person; or conducting business at other offices that are open to the public and housed in the courthouse.
The following persons shall not enter or remain in any courthouse:
All persons seeking entry to a courthouse will be subject to a screening process that may include:
If a person has a scheduled appearance or appointment at a courthouse and falls into any of the categories listed in § 3 above and/or is denied entry after undergoing the screening process referenced in § 4 above, the person should proceed as follows:
All persons must comply with the following rules while in a courthouse:
The presiding judge or clerk-magistrate may modify these rules in a courtroom or hearing room during a judicial proceeding as justice requires.
Anyone who fails to abide by these rules, or the rules established in a courtroom or hearing room by the presiding judge or clerk-magistrate, after receiving a verbal warning will be required to leave the courthouse immediately or will be subject to such other sanction as the presiding judge or magistrate may order.
All persons are strongly encouraged to engage in frequent hand-washing and/or the frequent application of hand sanitizer while in a courthouse. Courts will endeavor to provide hand-sanitizer inside the entrance to, and in other strategic locations throughout, courthouses, but all persons entering a courthouse are encouraged to provide their own hand-sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.
All persons are encouraged to bring their own pen with them to court for completing and signing pleadings and other documents.
This Order shall be effective on August 3, 2020, and remain in effect until further order of the court.