Third Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William Mudge announced that limited in-person proceedings will resume March 1.
Limited in-person matters will resume in both of the main courthouses in the Third Judicial Circuit, which includes Madison and Bond Counties, as well as the Criminal Justice Center.
“During this difficult time, the court has relied on remote virtual hearings to minimize the number of persons who must enter the courthouse. The use of Zoom and other remote platforms for virtual hearings will continue. However, given the improvement with community spread of the virus and the easing of mitigations in Region 4, in-person court appearances will resume in a limited and safe manner. I thank the citizens of Bond and Madison Counties for their patience and cooperation,” Mudge stated in a press release.
While in-person proceedings resume, the circuit court will still continue to provide access via remote means through procedures established to reduce unnecessary in-person court appearances.
Anyone visiting the courthouses must wear a face covering.
Despite the limited reopening, individuals will be denied entry into the courthouses if they:
- Are awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test
- Have been directed to quarantine by any medical provider or health department
- Reside with or have had close contact with anyone directed to quarantine
- Have been diagnosed with, or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with, Covid-19
- Have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, or shortness of breath
- Have traveled, within the last 21 days, to any country designated by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as high-risk locations for transmission of Covid-19