How Delaware Courts Have Kept Running During COVID-19

The court's community relations chief said the largest backlogs of cases developed over the past several months in the courts that regularly see higher volumes of cases, including the Justice of the Peace Court, which kept three courts open to the public 24 hours a day, with restrictions, throughout the judicial state of emergency.

July 15, 2020 at 06:02 PM

5 minute read

Ellen Bardash

The original version of this story was published on Delaware Law Weekly

More than three months since Delaware's judiciary first declared a state of emergency, state courts have reported there likely won't be much of a case load to catch up on as courthouse activity ramps back up.

Since courtrooms were first closed to the public March 23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the judiciary and attorneys have been using remote methods to keep cases moving, many of which are being carried into the courts' reopening stages.

"It is likely that many proceedings that are now being conducted by phone or video may stay that way going forward as they not only help prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus but have also proved to be easier and more efficient for all involved, saving both time and money," said Sean O'Sullivan, chief of community relations.