State Supreme Court pauses almost all cases in Washington
EVERETT — Jury trials and almost all in-person court hearings in Washington have been suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, by order of the state Supreme Court.
Under the emergency rules signed Wednesday by Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens, civil and criminal hearings are delayed until April 24, with exceptions for emergencies and hearings that could lead to a defendant’s release in the next 30 days.
Bail hearings must be scheduled within five days if a defendant is within an at-risk group — such as senior citizens, or those with an underlying medical condition where COVID-19 could easily prove fatal — as long as victims are allowed to participate in the hearing.
The goal is to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus that has sickened hundreds in Washington, causing dozens of deaths.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/state-supreme-court-pauses-almost-all-cases-in-washington/