Face mask requirement begins in NC courts as cases grow

Jury trials in North Carolina courtrooms will be delayed for at least another two months because of the coronavirus pandemic, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced on Thursday while also instituting a face covering requirement in courthouses.

Posted 5:27 p.m. Jul 16, 2020 — Updated 7:29 p.m. Jul 16, 2020

GARY D. ROBERTSON

, Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jury trials in North Carolina courtrooms will be delayed for at least another two months because of the coronavirus pandemic, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced on Thursday while also instituting a face covering requirement in courthouses.

Gov. Roy Cooper's mask mandate in public spaces started three weeks ago but didn't apply to the judicial branch. Beasley said it's become increasingly clear that face coverings reduce the spread of the virus and that threat of transmission is significant.

Dozens of court employees have contracted the virus since more in-person court proceedings resumed in June, and courts in five counties last week had to close due to known exposures.

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“The truth is, we cannot entirely eliminate the risk of infection,” Beasley said at the media briefing to announce her latest emergency directives. "Many court personnel are greatly concerned about their safety. ... They are also concerned about the enforcement of safety measures. We must do more."

The mask requirement will apply to common areas in courthouses and buildings. Beasley said people who can't afford face coverings will be provided one when entering a building.

"More than half of the nation's state court systems now have a requirement for face coverings in court facilities," she said.

Beasley will extend her jury trial suspension begun in March through the end of September. Meanwhile, she said, judicial and law enforcement leaders in each county need to come up with a jury trial resumption plan by Sept. 1 that describes how social distancing will occur, with jurors, attorneys and legal parties being screened daily.

“The data we have available indicates that it is not yet safe to resume jury trials without robust and comprehensive safety plans in place,” Beasley said, noting that only four states had resumed jury trials as of this month.

People must be confident that courthouses are low-risk areas for the virus, Beasley said, to ensure a fair representation of the community in jury pools.

The state Department of Health and Human Services added 2,160 infections to the state's tally as of Thursday morning, bringing the total to date to over 93,400. More than 1,130 coronavirus patients are hospitalized, and the death total during the pandemic is approaching 1,600. according to DHHS.

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