The 17th Judicial Circuit announced Thursday that it will be reopening courts in Winnebago and Boone Counties June 1 and resuming a regular schedule.
In the announcement, Chief Judge Eugene Doherty advised anyone coming to the court as a juror or litigant of the changes in its procedures that will be in place due to the continued threat of COVID-19:
- All persons entering the Courthouse should bring their own mask or face covering as it may be required to wear one.
- Some jury trials will be at held at a reduced level with more spacing between jurors.
- There will be more virtual hearings. Litigants may be given instruction on how to attend court remotely.
- Some court locations may be moved or case times rescheduled. Litigants should make sure the clerk has their current contact information.
- To reduce the number of people in the building, litigants are strongly discouraged from bringing other persons into court with them.
While noting that the courthouse process was going to look different than before, Judge Doherty said in the release that he was "confident" everyone would "pull together and cooperate with each other to get through this challenging time."
