30 Upstate New York Counties Re-Opening Courthouses and Lifting Moratorium on New Cases Print PDF
On May 13, 2020, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks, of the New York Unified Court System, announced that courthouses will re-open by May 20, 2020 in 30 upstate counties, spanning five judicial districts. In addition, the moratorium on filing new cases will be lifted in those counties, with new cases to being filed electronically. Each of the counties has met the State’s safety benchmarks for loosening restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Judge DiFiore noted that this is a “major first step” in the Court’s resumption to in-person court operations. The re-opening plans in those jurisdictions will serve as a template for the opening of courthouses in other counties.
On Monday May 18, 2020, courthouses will open in Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tomkins, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne Wyoming, Yates, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie counties. On Wednesday, May 20,, 2020, courthouses will open in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The courts will be taking safety precautions to protect the health of employees and visitors, including COVID-19 screening before entry. All persons entering the courthouse will be required to wear a mask, with masks available to those who need one.
Link to the Court’s Press Release: https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/PR20_17.pdf