Sunday, January 26, 2025

Freeze on non-emergency court hearings extended to May 17

The Virginia Supreme Court has extended its statewide freeze on non-emergency court hearings because of the coronavirus epidemic.

The order delays most court cases until May 17.

It’s the court’s third emergency order, and the second extension so far. The first extension was set to expire Monday.

State courts have already postponed thousands of cases that were scheduled for May.

The court’s order says that “emergencies” can generally go forward. They include arraignments, bail hearings, protective order hearings and emergency child custody hearings.

Attendance is also restricted to people that include lawyers, witnesses and court personnel.

Judges also have the discretion to conduct non-emergency court business by phone or video if everyone on a case agrees.

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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