Kansas courts to stop operations except emergencies and ongoing trials due to COVID-19
The Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all district and appellate courts to stop all but emergency operations and ongoing trials until further notice.
The order came days after after the Missouri Supreme Court and the Federal District Court for Kansas issued similar orders. Last week courthouses across the region postponed trials and other hearings in response to mounting concerns over the novel coronavirus.
“This is an extraordinary measure to match the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chief Justice Marla Luckert in a news release. “We have a duty to protect the people who come into our courthouses and courtrooms, as well as our employees and judges. This action allows courts to fulfill core functions while reducing in-person contact.”
According to the order, emergency operations include first appearances, bond and warrant hearings, juvenile detention hearings, care and treatment emergency orders, temporary protection from abuse orders, child in need of care hearings, petitions to waive notice for abortion by minors, commitment of sexually violent predators, isolation and quarantine hearings and determining probable cause for those arrested without warrant.
The order is expected to remain in effect for at least two weeks.
The chief judge of each court will identify essential staff as part of the order. Both essential and nonessential staff will be permitted to work from home, according to the order.
Anyone who has business with the court while the order is in place is asked to complete it remotely over the phone, online or by mail. Court workers will be available to answer questions over the phone.
The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District made a similar order Wednesday, canceling all oral arguments through April 3.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 6:16 PM.
