COVID-19 Judicial Emergency Declaration Update May 29, 2020

Overview

This document is a Supplemental and New Order issued by the Court of Common Pleas, Blair County (24th Judicial District) on May 29, 2020. It updates previous emergency orders in response to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court directive that ended the statewide judicial emergency on June 1, 2020. The local court has chosen to extend its own emergency measures until July 10, 2020.

Key Dates

• Order Date: May 29, 2020
• Statewide Emergency End: June 1, 2020
• Local Emergency Expiration: July 10, 2020

Court Operations & Procedures

• Status: The court is open for both essential and non-essential business.
• In-Person Access: Limited to safeguard health and safety.
• Technology Rules: Statewide rules restricting Advanced Communication Technology (ACT) are suspended to allow remote proceedings.
• Filing Methods: In-person delivery is no longer the only option; other methods are accepted where capability exists.

Participation Requirements

• Civil Matters: Litigants (including family law, protection from abuse, and dependency cases) must participate via ACT (e. g. , BlueJeans video, telephone).
• Criminal Matters: Defendants must participate via ACT unless notified otherwise. Exceptions include preliminary hearings, trials, sentencing, and parole/probation revocation hearings.
• Equipment: Counsel and litigants must provide their own means of participation (computer, videoconference, or telephone).
• Objections: If a party believes in-person appearance is necessary, they must file a petition at least 72 hours before the event.

Evidence Submission

• Exhibits: Must be emailed to court administration no later than 12 noon, five business days before the proceeding.
• Formats: Acceptable formats include . pdf, . jpg, . png, and . mp4. Microsoft Office documents must be converted to . pdf unless specific formatting is relevant.
• Naming: Filenames should include the docket number and a brief description (e. g. , "xxx-2020 Texts From Defendant").

Suspensions and Stays

• Jury Trials: Both criminal and civil jury trials are suspended until at least July 10, 2020.
• Evictions: Evictions of residential property are stayed until July 10, 2020, pursuant to the Governor’s order of May 7, 2020.
• Custody Orders: Prior custody orders issued during the initial stay-at-home period expired on April 30, 2020. The exception is the order from March 19, 2020, which established a schedule following the normal school calendar.

Issued by: Elizabeth A. Doyle, P. J.