U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill for the District of Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill for the District of Connecticut. Courtesy photo

Federal courts in Connecticut could be back in operation for some matters soon after May 15, but they'll require more time before jury trials resume, U.S. District Chief Judge Stefan Underhill of the District of Connecticut said.

Court officials had initially pushed back jury selection and jury trials in the state's federal courthouses in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford to May 15, but that's likely still too early.

"We are taking a step-by-step approach, and will slowly be getting back to normal," Underhill said Tuesday. "Civil matters involving just lawyers will most likely proceed first. … Theoretically, it could happen soon after May 15. But even with that date, we have to listen to the health experts, and see where we stand."

Federal courts are using telephone and video, but might soon have in-person proceedings for civil litigation matters involving few people.

"We do not want lawyers to go to court if they might be exposing staff to COVID-19, or vice versa," Underhill said.

Underhill said he'd assess the situation in about one month. Meanwhile, the three federal courthouses remain open with a skeleton staff. Most court users utilize e-filing, but people without a computer can go to a federal courthouse "and file physically with a clerk at the front door," he said.

With regard to the state's Superior Court system, Chief Court Administrator Patrick Carroll III issued a statement Tuesday saying "our goal is to incrementally increase the volume of court work that can be handled by judges and court staff."

As it relates to family matters, Carroll said, "we have identified two areas that may be addressed remotely. They are the approval of joint petitions for nonadversarial divorce; and entering court orders regarding requests for approval of temporary agreements, without a court appearance."

As of 7 p.m. Monday, Connecticut had recorded 13,381 cases of the coronavirus and 602 deaths from the virus, according to the office of Gov. Ned Lamont.

 

 

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