Coronavirus fear leads to another full closure of O.C. courts
Orange County Superior Court officials late Friday announced that court facilities will fully close again, a day after a partial opening of the facilities for criminal proceedings led to an outcry from both the district attorney and public defenders offices.
Beginning Monday, all four county courthouses will be completely closed to the public, including attorneys, until further notice, court officials said.
On Thursday and Friday, five courtrooms at the central courthouse in Santa Ana had been temporarily opened to handle time-sensitive criminal proceedings.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who had sharply criticized how the temporary operations had been handled, said late Friday that he was pleased with the decision to once again close the courtrooms.
“I do applaud the court,” Spitzer said. “I think the court acted in good faith.”
Spitzer said he will be working with court officials, along with the public defenders office, to come up with a way to deal with a growing backlog of criminal cases. The plan will have to take into account social distancing to prevent potential transmission of the coronavirus, the DA said, along with video technology to allow parties to meet remotely.
The California Supreme Court earlier this week issued an emergency order allowing Orange County court facilities to close until March 30, including the main court in Santa Ana and branch courts in Newport Beach, Fullerton and Westminster.
On Friday, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye issued a new advisory to superior court officials, noting that despite orders by state leaders for residents to shelter in place, courts are considered “essential services” that must still provide services to the public.
The chief justice offered a series of suggestions for local officials, including lowering bail amounts, letting detainees with less than 60 days in custody left to be released early, and allowing “liberal use” of telephone or video for court appearances.
Court and law enforcement officials have said they are working to juggle the rights of the accused to timely hearings with the safety concerns related to the ongoing pandemic.
Spitzer said his current concern is dealing with preliminary hearings, where a judge must decide whether there is enough evidence against a defendant for a case to proceed to trial. Along with arraignments, where defendants are informed of the charges they are facing and asked to enter a plea, those accused of crimes have the right to have their preliminary hearing heard in a timely manner.
In announcing the closure, court officials on Friday said they anticipate “reopening in the near future for limited matters.”