Part of Cumberland courthouse closed after employee tests positive for coronavirus

The worker had no contact with the public, officials said, but he or she did come into contact with plenty of court personnel.

"What it's done is it's caused us to take steps to just go ahead and close down only District Court and the District Court judges' office," Judge Toni King said.

The clerk of courts office, which also was shut down, will reopen Monday, but district courts will remain closed until Aug. 3.

"They won't let me pay my taxes, said they're closed," resident Grayson Hester said after being turned away from the courthouse. "Now, I'm going to go home and cut grass."

All District Court matters scheduled for the week of July 27 will be continued, and notices will be mailed, officials said.

"The clerk's office is going to call to reschedule those traffic and criminal matters," King said.

Superior Court will continue to operate in the courthouse. But District Court first appearances will be handled in a courtroom inside the Cumberland County jail, and involuntary psychiatric commitment hearings will happen at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Other hearings, such as hearings for domestic violence protective orders and domestic civil disputes and Department of Social Services custody matters, will be held remotely online, officials said.

"For those individuals that need domestic violence protective orders, we have three remote filing places they can go file," King said, noting those sites are at the Fayetteville Police Department, at the Family Advocacy Program at Fort Bragg and at Rape Crisis of Cumberland County.

The virus has shuttered numerous county courthouses across North Carolina in recent weeks.