In Re Response to Covid-19.april 3

2020 Ark. 132

• Court: Supreme Court of Arkansas
• Decided: April 3, 2020
• Status: Published

Opinion

Cite as 2020 Ark. 132 SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS Delivered: April 3, 2020

IN RE RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

PER CURIAM

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court of Arkansas

delivered per curiam orders on March 17, 2020, and March 20, 2020, implementing

emergency precautions to help protect the public from unnecessary risks. See In re Response

to the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020 Ark. 116 (per curiam); In re Response to the COVID-19

Pandemic, 2020 Ark. 125 (per curiam). Today the Supreme Court of Arkansas announces

additional measures to combat the spread of the disease to the public, including the

employees of the Arkansas judiciary.

The courts of the State of Arkansas shall remain open. The previous suspension of all

in-person proceedings in all appellate, circuit, and district courts shall be extended through

Friday, May 1, 2020, and may be extended by this court as circumstances warrant.

This Order allows in-person hearings for the excepted proceedings listed in the

March 17 per curiam, In re Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020 Ark. 116. While

hearings in individual cases of these types may be set by judges, and such hearings may be

held in person, judges are encouraged to utilize all available technologies––including

teleconferencing and video conferencing––to further limit in-person courtroom

appearances. The administrative judge of each judicial circuit is authorized to determine the

manner in which the listed in-person exceptions are to be conducted. Such proceedings shall be limited to thc attorneys, parties, witnesses, security officers, a press-pool representative,

and other individuals necessary to the proceedings as dctermined by the prcsidingjudge.

AI1 proceedings that do not require in-person appearances of parties or counsel are

not suspended and may continue or be suspended at the discretion ofthe presidingjudge as

circumstances allow. For the duration of this Order,judges may exercise their discretion to

conducr procccdings that do not require in-person appearances or in-person proceedings

suspended as a result ofthis Order, by teleconGrencing, video conferencing, or other available

technology. Any criminal or civil court rules that would impede a court clerk's or a judge's

abiliry to utilize such technologies are hcreby suspended for the duration of this Order.

Any summonses for persons to participate in jury panels are hereby suspended

through Tuesday, Jrne 30,2020.

For criminal cases, in light ofthe public-health emergency, any delay for speedy-trial

purposes during this emergency shall be deemed to be extraordinary circumstances that shall

presumptively constitute good cause as an excluded period for the period of delay under

Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 28.3(h).

This Ordcr is to be interpreted broadly for protection of the public from the risks

associated with COVID-I9. This Order applies statewide to all courts and court clerks'

offices except administrative courts ofthe executive branch, federal courts, and federal court

clerks' offices in Arkansas.

It is so OI\I)EIIED.

FOI{THE COUI{T: