MEDFORD, Ore. – Jackson County Circuit Courts will be restricting operations due to COVID-19.
Courts in the county will be postponing trials, hearings, and reducing the number of people summoned as jurors.
Chief Justice Martha L. Walters issued the following order:
- Postpones, with limited exceptions, jury trials and other trials and hearings scheduled to start between Thursday, March 19, 2020 and Friday, March 27, 2020. Some courts will implement the postponements as early as tomorrow. Jury trials that can be completed before March 19, 2020 will continue.
- The limited exceptions include proceedings involving people in jail with a legal right to a speedy trial, civil commitment hearings, and certain protective order, family law, guardianship, and treatment court proceedings.
- Bans in-state and out-of-state work-related travel and bans internal meetings of five or more people. Larger meetings will be conducted remotely or re-scheduled.
- Presiding judges in each county will decide which judges and court staff need to work at the courthouse or remotely from home.
- Presiding judges in each county will work with the public safety community to ensure that they consider how best to address health issues of those who are incarcerated and how to keep jail populations at a minimum.
The court will remain open only for legally-required in-person services.
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