Chief Judge of the Superior Court Kristina Cook Graham has issued a second Judicial Order for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.
The order was issued due to an increase in the number of cases in Georgia.
“Since June 12, 2020, our courts have increased the number of in-person court proceedings to attempt to appropriately address the needs of our citizens and to address our case backlog,” the Judicial Order says. “Our courts have followed our Order Establishing Guidelines for In-Person Proceedings of May 18, 2020. However, at this time this increase in in-person proceedings is no longer feasible or safe.
Thereby, this Court hereby declares a Second Order of Judicial Emergency in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit for a 30-day period beginning Monday, July 27, 2020. Each court of the circuit shall only hold in-person hearings on those matters deemed essential by the presiding judge. All other matters shall be conducted remotely by Zoom, WebEx, or other format selected by the presiding judge. Judge Graham presides in Chattooga County, Judge Van Pelt in Catoosa County, Judge House in Dade County, and Judge Thompson in Walker County in Superior Court cases. Furthermore, all attorneys, staff, and court personnel, are encouraged to work remotely whenever possible.”
Issuance of the order also provides a chance for courthouse facilities to be cleaned and sanitized. It should also be noted that the order states the courts shall remain open and available to citizens in compliance with public health guidelines.
