As businesses truncate or close altogether due to the spread of COVID-19, area court systems have remained open to the public and plan to stay that way — with some caveats.
Following President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency Friday, the Mississippi Supreme Court handed down an emergency administrative order mandating that courts have to remain open and “should continue normal business hours as much as possible.” However, the Court also ordered judges and clerks to minimize spreading the virus by implementing measures such as limiting court proceedings to only the public and making sure jurors who may have been exposed to the virus don’t come into the courthouse. Individual judges have the discretion to control their dockets or postpone trials scheduled through April 10.
In response, area circuit courts — which handle felony criminal cases and some civil matters — and chancery courts — which handle divorces, land issues and custody issues — have remained open and still plan to hold court, at least for now.
“We are taking heed to that order,” said Lowndes County Chancery Clerk Cindy Egger Goode. “However, we are protecting our customers, our public, our community and also our employees. We are constantly wiping down the counters with Clorox wipes or spraying with Lysol. We have hand sanitizer for the customers to use. We are disinfecting any writing pens. … We understand that there is some business that needs to be handled in the courthouse. We’re just asking that if it’s something that can wait for the next couple of weeks, if it’s something that we can handle with them over the phone or through email, we’ll be more than happy to handle things like that.
“We cannot shut down, and we are not going to shut down,” she added.
Court hearings are still going on, she said, but attendance is limited to only judges, attorneys, the involved parties and bailiffs.
In Clay County Circuit Court, which is currently holding a special trial, Circuit Clerk Kim Hood said her office is taking similar precautions.
“On the very first day, we met everybody at the door and asked them if they’d been out of the country or if they had felt sick,” Hood said. “And of course if either one, they were released immediately and weren’t even in with the jurors.”
Like Lowndes Chancery Court, clerks and other court employees are also ensuring surfaces are clean and that jurors and others in the courthouse have plenty of hand sanitizer.
The larger issue is when Clay County’s circuit term beings April 6. The first day of each term, those with jury summons or pending charges all report to the courthouse. While Clay County’s docket is significantly smaller than Lowndes County’s, Hood said, it’s still a concern.
“Right now we do not know if … we are going to call in another jury,” she said. “We’re waiting to see where it goes from here. Right now, I’ve got a week or so before I summon jurors for April 6. … As far as court continuing, I think it will continue as far as everybody signing in and things like that. I have not heard otherwise.”
Oktibbeha County Circuit Court’s term begins at the end of April, and Circuit Clerk Tony Rook said it’s possible that term will be held without any jurors.
“We’ll finalize that in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
In Lowndes County, where circuit court’s next term begins May 11, Circuit Clerk Teresa Barksdale and the judges have more time to plan.
“We’re anticipating no changes until closer to time,” Barksdale said.
She said the court is planning to go ahead with grand jury, which begins next month, as planned.
Aside from court proceedings, clerks’ offices have also remained open for transaction of general business, but every clerk The Dispatch spoke to asked that citizens conduct that business over the phone or online as much as possible — for their own safety, as well as that of those in the courthouse.
Clerks have placed signs on the doors to their offices mandating anyone with symptoms of flu or COVID-19 not enter.
Marriage licenses and payment of fines have to be done in person at Lowndes County Circuit Court, Barksdale said, but she is asking those with any other needs to call her office instead. Goode has asked that citizens who must come in to conduct business do so by themselves, without bringing any family members, particularly children, along. Rook has asked that customers use hand sanitizer before entering his office.
Oktibbeha County Chancery Clerk Sharon Livingston is reducing her staff to two clerks in the morning and two in the afternoon starting today.
“So far this week, it’s been low traffic,” she said. “… I’m trying to limit it to just like 10 people in the office (at a time) besides my staff.”
Both Lowndes and Oktibbeha chancery courts have land records online.
The clerks said they would remain open “unless the Supreme Court orders otherwise,” Rook said.
“We do have plans to postpone or extend certain day-to-day activities if the situation continues to escalate,” he said.
Justice, municipal courts
Most lower courts in the area have gone one step further and suspended court for the following weeks.
Judges have suspended court for Starkville and Columbus Municipal courts and Oktibbeha County Justice Court, but all the offices are still open.
Columbus Municipal Clerk Wendy Blunt said plea days and trials for the next two weeks will be rescheduled. Her office is coming up with plans for customers to pay fines online or call to plead guilty or not guilty to minor infractions such as traffic violations. However, visitors can still come to the Municipal Complex to pay fines or get a restraining order for domestic abuse situations.
“Any kind of court business we’re basically doing, we’re just not holding court in the courtroom as of right now,” she said.
Oktibbeha Justice Court is not holding sessions again until April 14, clerk Shalonda Sykes said, though she stressed her office was still open — and judges are still meeting with defendants who need bond set by going straight to the county jail.
The same goes for Starkville Municipal Court, said Municipal Clerk Joni Hogue.
“We’ve suspended court for sure for the rest of the month, and then we’re just kind of taking it week by week,” she said, adding anyone with an upcoming court date should call her office.
The only court still open is Lowndes County Justice Court, which held court Tuesday as normal, said Justice Clerk Linder Erby.
“We didn’t let people congregate too much in the courtroom,” she said, explaining that bailiffs ensured the courtroom had a limited number of people and that those people weren’t sitting close together. “… There was plenty of space between them until court was over with.”
She added if anyone is concerned for their health, her office can reschedule their court dates.
Court Phone Numbers
■ Lowndes County Circuit Court 662-329-5900
■ Lowndes County Chancery Court 662-329-5800
■ Lowndes County Justice Court 662-329-5929
■ Columbus Municipal Court 662-244-3500 option 3
■ Oktibbeha County Circuit Court 662-323-1356
■ Oktibbeha County Chancery Court 662-323-5834
■ Oktibbeha County Justice Court 662-324-3032
■ Starkville Municipal Court 662-323-1491
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