As coronavirus outbreaks crop up across the country, some Texas judges are planning for what might happen if coronavirus infections derail hearings.

Some state judges in Houston are gearing to hold more video conferences and telephone hearings, in lieu of in-person court appearances. Meanwhile, Chief District Judge Rodney Gilstrap of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Sherman issued a standing order that tells lawyers to communicate with their opposing counsel to find alternatives to in-person hearings or depositions.

Another jurist, 125th District Judge Kyle Carter of Houston, advised lawyers to call the court's clerk, if they feel sick before a hearing. Carter, whose court only handles civil cases, said that he and other civil judges he knows would have no problem allowing an ill attorney to appear by telephone instead of coming to court.