Maron Marvel is proud to announce that it again has been recognized among the nation’s “Best Law Firms” for 2021, achieving rankings in the practice areas of mass tort, product liability, personal injury, and commercial litigation in five of the 10 metropolitan areas in which it practices.

 

Maron Marvel again has been ranked in Tier 1, the highest honor, in Jackson, Mississippi for mass tort, personal injury, and product liability litigation on behalf of defendants. The legal teams practicing out of the firm’s offices in Dallas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington, Delaware, also were recognized among Best Law Firms for excellence in those same practice areas.

 

A program of U.S. News – Best Lawyers®, “Best Law Firm” rankings are determined through a rigorous evaluation process involving the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

 

The highest honor, a Tier 1 ranking, is based on a firm’s overall evaluation. This is derived from a combination of its clients impressive feedback, the high regard that lawyers in other firms in the same practice area have for the firm, and information that firms provide to Best Lawyers via a survey.

 

To be eligible for a “Best Law Firm” ranking, a firm must have at least one lawyer named in The Best Lawyers in America^©. Attorneys are neither required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed. For 2021, 27 Maron Marvel attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers, and firm director Howard E. Jarvis was named the Best Lawyers 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Knoxville, Tennessee for environmental litigation.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AUGUST 2020) – National law firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy is proud to announce that 27 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, one of the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publications, and two attorneys have been named among The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch.

 

Firm attorney Howard E. Jarvis also has been named the Best Lawyers 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Knoxville, Tennessee for environmental litigation. This honor is awarded to the individual lawyer with the highest overall voter feedback from their peers in their specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is selected as Lawyer of the Year for each practice area and location.

 

Maron Marvel’s recognized attorneys were drawn from the firm’s offices nationwide, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Charleston, South Carolina, Jackson, Mississippi, and Wilmington, Delaware. Attorneys were recognized for their work in the practice areas of mass tort litigation / class actions, and personal injury, product liability, environmental, and commercial litigation on behalf of defendants.

 

Maron Marvel congratulates the following lawyers on being named among the 2021 Best Lawyers in America:

• Paul A. Bradley – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Wilmington, DE)
• Wayne Marvel – Commercial Litigation (Wilmington, DE)
• Beau Inabinet – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Charleston, SC)
• Todd Ogden – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Dallas, TX)
• John R. Robinson – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Dallas, TX)
• Roger H. Nebel – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Stefan G. Bourn – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Julie E. Chaffin – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Edderek L. Cole – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Marcy B. Croft – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Kay Dodge – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Samuel D. Habeeb – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Christi G. Jones – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Kimberly P. Mangum – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• John C. McCants III – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Chan E. McLeod – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Clare Millette – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Donald C. Partridge – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Thomas W. Tardy III – Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Colleen S. Welch – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Jackson, MS)
• Howard Jarvis – Litigation – Environmental, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Knoxville, TN)
• Robert E. Dille – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (New Orleans, LA)
• John G. Gaul – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Philadelphia, PA)
• Walter S. Jenkins – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Philadelphia, PA)
• Deborah L. Iannamorelli – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Joseph R. Schaper – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Terry A. Schrock – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants (Pittsburgh, PA)

Thomas W. Tardy III has been recognized among Best Lawyers for more than 10 years, and John R. Robinson, Stefan G. Bourn, Julie E. Chaffin, Samuel D. Habeeb, John “Jack” C. McCants III, and Colleen S. Welch all have been named Best Lawyers for more than five years.

 

In addition, two attorneys have been named to the first-ever The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list, a new recognition program spotlighting attorneys who are earlier in their careers. They are:

• Daniel Alexander – Product Liability – Defendants (Chicago, IL)
• Shelly K. Napolitano – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (New Orleans, LA)

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast millions of votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Because lawyers are neither required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

WILMINGTON, Del. (June 2020) – National law firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy is proud to announce that leading national toxic tort trial attorney Howard E. Jarvis has joined the firm.

 

Jarvis, who will work from Knoxville, Tennessee, brings to Maron Marvel more than 40 years of experience, including extensive experience in toxic tort, environmental, and products liability defense litigation.

 

“We are honored to have Howard join the Maron Marvel team,” said firm Member Catherine Pyune McEldowney. “He has served as lead trial counsel in toxic tort cases across the country, and has obtained seminal defense verdicts in key jurisdictions utilizing state-of-the-art medical and scientific defenses. He’s one of the best storytellers I know, and our clients will benefit greatly from his experience in the courtroom  as well as his innovation in the area of genomics.”

 

This move makes Maron Marvel only Jarvis’ third law firm in his 40-year career. His first job after law school was at Baker, Worthington, Crossley, Stansberry & Woolf in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he stayed there for 15 years. In 1994, he became a founding partner of Woolf, McClane, Bright, Allen, & Carpenter, where he remained until now.

 

“After 26 years at the firm I co-founded, there is only one group of lawyers I would have left Woolf McClane to join, and that is the team at Maron Marvel,” Jarvis said. “The firm’s name carries great clout in litigation circles, and I am proud to join them. I look forward to continuing to defend toxic tort lawsuits using innovative, science-based approaches, and to helping younger attorneys become even better trial lawyers by sharing my more than 40 years of experience in storytelling and courtroom theater.”

 

On behalf of several petrochemical companies, Jarvis has handled multi-plaintiff toxic tort cases involving both personal injury and property damage claims as a result of alleged chemical exposure. He has served as counsel or co-counsel in toxic tort and environmental litigation in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

 

Notable defense verdicts in which Jarvis has been involved as a trial counsel include Boyd v. Exxon, Bray v. Exxon, Friloux v. Exxon, Guzman v. Exxon, Stromberg v. Exxon, Fryer v. BP et al.,  Butler v. Sunoco, and Bruce Rhyne v. Sunoco.

 

Jarvis holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a law degree from University of Tennessee and is admitted to practice in Tennessee and Pennsylvania. He has been honored with many awards over the course of his career, including being named among the Best Lawyers in America in products liability ligation, environmental litigation and personal injury litigation and being named Lawyer of the Year in products liability litigation in the Knoxville metro area. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

 

He is a frequent author and speaker on the topics of ethics, toxic torts, trial practice, and the use of genetic and genomic data in the courtroom. A resident of Tennessee, he has been married to his wife Liz for more than 35 years and is the fourth lawyer in the Jarvis family line of eight lawyers.

We at Maron Marvel condemn racial injustice and strive daily to uphold the basic principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, not only within the firm, but also in the communities in which we have offices and in which our employees reside.  Recent events, notably the horrific killing of George Floyd, as well as the unjustified killing of Ahmaud Arbery, sicken us and demonstrate that our nation has unfinished work in the area of racial equity and the criminal justice system.  There are no easy answers, but we, as a firm, are committed to take action to help solve the problems.  Societal shortcomings with regard to equity and basic fairness that are ignored, excused, dismissed, or left unaddressed eventually rip apart the social fabric and result in major discord, strife, and instability.



As a first step, we are in the process of identifying existing programs and organizations, both local and national, which work to eliminate structural inequities in the criminal justice system and which promote racial equity and justice.  We as a firm will dedicate ourselves to working with those groups on a pro bono basis in an effort to assist in achieving these goals. The firm will also make a donation to an organization to be selected for its racial justice efforts. However, donations alone  are not enough.  We all need to get involved to solve these problems.



Diversity and inclusion should never be treated as an empty catchphrase. We cannot achieve a healthy and robust society if basic rights and opportunities are meted out to only select groups. No society is perfect, but our nation is at its best when it strives to achieve “…a more perfect Union…”.



We are committed to doing our part to help strengthen the ties that bind us and work toward creating a better society for ourselves, our families and our fellow citizens.



Stay well and safe.



Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC

During the COVID-19 crisis, no one – including the legal profession – is immune from the potential effects of this rapidly-developing, novel change in the way we live and it will command a renewed focus.  Preparing for the inevitable resumption of litigation during these months of social distancing and lull in activity is critical to good litigation management.  Maintaining good communication, maintaining and building foundations for the litigation resumption, prioritizing and exercising civility and consideration are just a few examples of the necessary focus required to survive and prosper during these difficult times.

 

Good Communication

 

Courts are trying to adapt their overall schedules and case-specific schedules to the limits created by the coronavirus. Because each jurisdiction’s courts are addressing the public health crisis differently, keeping up to date with changes, and communicating those changes to clients in a timely manner is challenging and vital. This communication can take many forms, including a communal chart, spreadsheet or email blast, but the key is to provide information that is up to date, succinct and easily distributable. Courts have to move fast in this environment and it is essential for litigation managers to receive, communicate and address these changes in an expedient fashion.

 

Building and Maintaining Foundations

 

If we think of the trial docket like a train, the coronavirus looks like it has caused the locomotive to come to a screeching halt. But, litigation managers should maximize this time, because the train could soon be moving full speed ahead. For example, this is a good time to analyze the details of those problem cases in preparation the resumption.  Your lawyer-adversaries will almost certainly attempt to “make up for lost time,” and it is incumbent on you to make ready for that possibility. One example that comes to mind is the retention and vetting of potential expert witnesses.  The lull in litigation activity caused by the COVID-19 virus may create a much-needed opportunity to obtain authorization for a needed expert, reviewed that expert’s testimonial experience in detail, conduct mock Daubert/Frye analyses and myriad related exercises that typically occur at the proverbial “eleventh hour.” Now is the time to build the foundation with a request for authorization, supported with appropriate reasoning. Even if it is not approved right now, at least the underlying need and reasons have been communicated. Indeed, communication is critical right now, rather than be lulled into a false sense of peace a quiet docket can create. This lull in the docket is the quiet before the storm and litigation managers should plan, create and act accordingly.

 

Prioritization

 

The aforementioned changes in courts’ schedules combined with a potential sudden increase in activity, necessitates a focus on having the correct prioritization.  Indeed, a case that may have been a top priority three weeks ago needs to be replaced by another case at this point. Thinking back to our train example, just because the trains may have pulled into the station in a particular order does not mean they will leave the station in that order. Consequently, the importance of litigation managers focusing on developing the correct prioritization at this time cannot be overstated.

 

Exercise Civility and Consideration

 

Preparing and prioritizing needs to be tempered with that fact that the COVID-19 crisis has changed all our lives. With this in mind, litigation managers need to be judicious about what is labeled as “Urgent” or “Time Sensitive.”  It would be remiss to ignore current realities and force counsel to operate as though it is business as usual. Some courts have already taken it upon themselves to admonish attorneys who have failed to recognize the gravity of the situation and scarcity of resources by arguing over relative trivialities. For example, one U.S. Magistrate Judge in Florida stated that counsel who opposed a recent motion to reschedule trial and extend deadlines should familiarize themselves with concepts such as “karma, goodwill, grace, compassion …” and included in another case the rhetorical question “Would the world end if the corporate deposition did not occur next week? Obviously not.” In response to learning of an emergency motion, a federal judge in Chicago indicated “[t]he world is facing a real emergency. Plaintiff is not.” People, including judges, have long memories; don’t be one of those who contribute to making a bad situation worse. By the same token, judges, clients and our lawyer-adversaries remember those who temper their zeal with humanity.

 

In sum, we are all having to shift our focus, whether it is litigation or otherwise. Hopefully, the above focus areas assist in helping litigation managers effectively maximize their resources and efforts during this time.

Many Jurisdictions have barred entry to any person exhibiting symptoms (fever, severe cough, or shortness of breath), been diagnosed with or had contact with someone who was been diagnosed with coronavirus, or someone who was traveled outside the country to certain countries (including China, Italy, Iran, Japan, and South Korea).

            California, New York, and Illinois issued “shelter in place” orders.  California Governor Newsom has not set an end-date to the order.  Illinois Governor Prizker ordered all resident to shelter in place beginning March 21 at 5 pm.  The order will be in effect until at least April 7.  New York Governor Cuomo issued a shelter in place order (although he did not want to label the order as such) for all New York residents beginning March 22 at 8pm.  There is no set end to the NY order. 

UPDATED: The following states have issued shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders:

• Idaho through 4/15
• Colorado through 4/11
• Minnesota through 4/10
• Wisconsin
• Indiana through 4/7
• Texas counties: Dallas, Harris, and Bexar
• Michigan through 4/13
• Pennsylvania counties: Philadelphia, Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Monroe, and Montgomery.
• Atlanta, GA through 4/6
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• Ohio through 4/6
• New Jersey
• Oregon
• Connecticut

Alabama – The March 13, 2020 Order is limited to in-person courtroom proceedings.  It has no effect on out-of-court activities in civil case, including depositions and mediations.  Such out-of-court activities should be evaluated on a case by case basis, and this Court encourages all parties and attorneys to work together to implement appropriate social distancing practices.  All in-person proceedings in all state and local courts in Alabama are suspended through Thursday, April 16, 2020.  Any deadlines that are set by or subject to regulation by this Court that are set to expire between March 16, 2020 and April 16, 2020 are hereby extended to April 20, 2020. This Court cannot extend any statutory period of repose or statute of limitations period.

Alaska – In Alaska’s state court system, jury trials that were scheduled to begin the week of March 16 in Palmer, Kenai and Anchorage are canceled. The court is encouraging those with symptoms or possible exposure not to come to any state courthouses.

California

Alameda County – The court will be closing to the public 3/17 through 4/7. Most court appearances scheduled during these dates have been continued to dates after 4/7. During this time orders and tentative rulings will continue to be issued but if any are contested and need hearing – the hearings will be reset to a date after 4/7 or, if counsel can arrange it – via conference call.  The 4/6 trials that are preferential settings will be continued for 2 weeks per statute

Alpine County – Personal appearances are suspended and scheduled court hearings, with the exception of criminal matters, will be rescheduled to May 2020. The court encourages a reduction in all non-essential hearings. For now, the courthouse remains open and filings are being delivered.

Amador County – Except for essential time-sensitive matters, the courthouse is closed until April 6. The court will receive filings for essential matters, such as TROs, but all other filing is suspended. Days between March 17 and April 3 inclusive to be deemed holidays for the purpose of computing the time for filing papers.

Contra Costa County – All courthouses closed until April 1. Closed days to be treated as “Court Holidays” for the purpose of deadlines.

El Dorado County – Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, all Clerk’s Counters will be closed to the public in all Court facilities. A drop box is located on the outside of each Court facility and is available 24 hours per day. Filings presented to the Court may be placed in the drop boxes. Filings placed in the drop boxes after 4:00 p.m. will be filed by the Court on the next Court business day.” March 17 to March 20, inclusive, to be deemed court holidays for the purpose of computing deadlines.

Fresno County – The Fresno Superior Court has requested an Emergency Order from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to substantially reduce operations. If granted, there will be no more than 7 courtrooms in operation among the 4 courthouse locations. The Court will handle only essential legal matters during this time. Persons having business before the Court should visit the court’s website for specific details.

Humboldt County – The court is closed from Tuesday, March 17, 2020, through Friday, March, 20, 2020 (days to be deemed court holidays). Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, and continuing for at least thirty (30) days thereafter, and possibly until the end of the state of emergency, the Court will conduct limited hearings and limited Court operations. Court filings will be delivered once the court re-opens.

Imperial County – The court remains open but is seeking to continue scheduled trials.You may continue to submit filings through Express Network, which will be eDelivered to the court on your behalf.

Inyo County – All jury trials through April 13 have been vacated and, subject to judicial discretion, the Court will “liberally grant continuances upon request”. The courthouse remains open and you may continue to place court filings, which will be physically delivered.

Kern County – Beginning March 18 (end date to be confirmed), all Clerk’s windows will be closed to the public, until further notice. You may continue to eFile through Express Network. March 18 to March 30 inclusive to be deemed holidays for the purpose of computing filing deadlines. Until March 30 only limited case types will be heard.

Kings County – Civil trials and non time-sensitive matters to be continued 30 days through 4/17/2020. All interior customer service counters, inside the courthouse, will be closed to the public effective Wednesday, March 18, 2020. The court will operate 1640 Kings County Drive Hanford, CA two (2) exterior service windows to handle court business. Payments will be accepted online, outside drop box, or exterior service windows. You may continue to place court filings, which will be physically delivered to the court’s drop box.

Lake County – All courthouses are closed until April 2, and “the court will only handle in-custody arraignments, juvenile detentions and preliminary hearings in which time has not been waived. The court clerk’s offices will be closed.  You may continue to submit filings, but they will be held and physically delivered once the court re-opens. Closed days to be treated as “Court Holidays” for the purpose of deadlines.

Lassen County – The court will be limiting access to the courthouse, except for essential and time-sensitive matters, until April 13.The courthouse remains open for filings. You may continue to place court filings, which will be physically delivered.

Los Angeles County – UPDATE: Plaintiff’s asbestos bar wrote the court requesting permission to conduct depositions by remote means, conduct informal discovery conferences via CourtCall, and encourage parties with preferential trial dates in the next 60 days to make best efforts to meet existing pretrial deadlines and appear at the Final Status Conference via CourtCall. 

Closed to the public from March 17 until March 19. This timeframe is also considered “holidays” for purposes of computing time under the Code of Civil procedure. All matters on the calendar between March 17 and 20, 2020 are continued for four weeks. The Court will issue an order in each affected case setting new dates. From March 20, 2020 until April 16, 2020 all courtrooms will remain closed for judicial business, except for certain time-sensitive essential functions. All other matters have been continued by the Court. The Code of Civil Procedure rules dictating the timeframe of trial have been extended. Parties and counsel should anticipate that any hearings or conferences that take place through April 10, 2020, unless that date is further extended by the Court, will be by Court Call only. Absent order of the Court (or agreement by counsel where no court order is required), existing deadlines in all cases remain in effect.

Madera County – All civil trials, with the exception of unlawful detainer trials, currently scheduled between March 17, 2020 and April 3, 2020, are continued on a rolling basis for eight weeks from the currently scheduled trial date. The courthouse remains open for filings. You may continue to place court filings, which will be physically delivered.

Marin County – The court will be closed for all non-essential matters effective March 17 until April 7. During the closure  all clerks offices will remain closed, except for a single criminal courtroom and a courtroom for hearing TROs and other emergency orders. Closed days are to be deemed “Court Holidays”.

Mariposa County – Telephonic appearances are available in most Civil and Probate cases

Mendocino County – Counsel in all civil and probate matters scheduled to appear between March 17, 2020 and April 3, 2020 should plan on attending via Court-Call.

Merced County – All civil jury trials currently set between Tuesday, March 17, and Tuesday, April 28, 2020, will be continued on a rolling basis for 8 weeks from the currently scheduled trial date.

Modoc County – The Court currently plans to resume regular court operations on Monday, April I 3, 2020.” Counsel in all civil, family law and probate matters scheduled to appear between March 17, 2020 to and including April 13, 2020 should plan on attending via Court- Call.

Monterey County – All non-essential functions suspended from March 18 through April 3, 2020. Felony In-Custody Arraignments and Juvenile In-Custody matters will continue to be heard. Essential internal court operations not involving direct physical contact with the public or justice partners will continue to some extent – court personnel will be exempt from Monterey’s “shelter in place” edict. Court has applied emergency order that will provide relief from statutory timelines. Prospective jurors asked to report during the weeks of March 16, March 23, and March 30 will be excused from service.

Orange County – All civil jury trials postponed until May 1, 2020, personal appearances also greatly curtailed. Jurors summoned to appear between March 17 and March 27 not required to appear; jurors currently impaneled should contact their courtrooms.

Placer County – Effective Thursday , March 19, 2020, Placer County Superior Court will further reducing its operations  to focus on those that impact public safety, children, and those in other vulnerable categories. The Historic Courthouse in Auburn is closed effective March 17 with a plan to reopen April 13, 2020. While the Clerk’s Office will remain open for filings, at the current time, the court has declared March 17 to April 10, 2020 as court holidays for the purposes of computing time. Staff at counters will accept and process filings for those items that are continuing to be heard as outlined above. Please place all other filings in the court drop boxor mail to the court.

Riverside County – Unlimited and limited civil trials are suspended until May 25, 2020. Civil trials that are in-progress will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Sacramento County – March 18 to April 16, for purposes of computing time for filing papers, are to be treated as “Court Holidays”. All courtrooms are closed during this period for all but time-sensitive/essential matters. The court continues to accept filings, though they will be drop-boxed for the time being.

San Benito County – The court will reschedule various matters in order to curtail the effect and spread of COVID-19.

San Diego County – From March 17 to April 3, 2020, all courthouses and courtrooms will be closed to the public except with regard to time-sensitive, essential functions. For cases in which the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from March 17 to April 6, the court extends the time periods by 30 days.

San Francisco County – postponed civil jury trials for 90 days from the date they had been scheduled. Exceptions to that restriction are preference cases and trials already in progress. Clerk’s office will be closed from March 17 through April 15, 2020; a drop box is available for motions.

San Joaquin County – The court has suspended all non-emergency services effective March 17, 2020-April 3, 2020.

San Mateo County – March 16 through March 31 are deemed holidays for purposes of computing filing deadlines. With few exceptions, the Court will be closed to the public beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, through Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Suspension of trials and all traffic matters will take effect immediately. All other changes will take effect Wednesday March 18, 2020.All trials be suspended for up to 30 days and the time limits on conducting preliminary hearings be continued from 10 court days to 15 court days. At this time you may submit eFilings but should anticipate delays.

Santa Barbara County – All courtrooms, with the exception of a few that will remain open for essential matters, are closed until April 3. At this time you may continue to file electronically, but should anticipate delays.

Santa Clara County – Following guidelines provided by the County of Santa Clara’s “shelter in place” orders effective Tuesday, March 17 at 12:01 AM, the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara has suspended all non-essential functions for three weeks or until such time as the order is lifted. Dates from March 17 to March 27, inclusive, to be deemed holidays for the purpose of computing the time for filing papers. All clerk’s office functions will be closed to the public while the order remains in place. At this time, you may continue to eFile.

Sierra County – The Courthouse will be closed until further notice.

Sonoma County – All court locations and services are closed except for critical calendars and functions. The closure will be effective Monday, March 16, 2020, through Friday, April 3, 2020.”

Tehama County – The Court will be closed to the public from Thursday, March 19, 2020 through Friday, April 3, 2020.

Tulare County – All civil trials currently set between Tuesday, March 17, and Friday April 17, 2020, will be continued. All service counters will be closed to the public effective Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, April 17, 2020. Increased availability of phone, email, and drop box options will be available to facilitate regular court transactions. Payments will be accepted online, by telephone or drop box. Filing will be by drop box.

Ventura County -Closed Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 18. Beginning Thursday, March 19, the court will resume limited operations. The majority of courtrooms and all clerk’s offices at all court locations will remain closed

Delaware

Delaware Supreme Court Ordered all court facilities closed to the public as of Monday, March 23 2020 until at least April 15.  The Court canceled all in-person oral arguments through May. Trial Courts have the discretion to continue trials for a period of 30 days. All Trials are suspended through and including April 15, 2020. Involuntary Commitments remain as scheduled. Supreme Court Rule 10(d), which requires the filing of paper copies of briefs and appendices with the Court, is suspended. Lawyers shall not submit paper copies of any documents that have been electronically filed with the Court. Proceedings will be conducted by telephone when possible and the court will consider all requests for in-person hearings to be conducted by phone. Attorneys and self-represented parties scheduled for trial must notify the court if the trial will require the attendance of a person who has tested positive for coronavirus or has been in contact in the past 14 days with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus. Deadlines in court rules or state or local statutes and ordinances applicable to the judiciary that expire between March 23, 2020 and April 15, 2020 are extended through April 21, 2020. Statutes of limitations and statutes of repose that would otherwise expire during the period between March 23, 2020 and April 15, 2020 are hereby extended through April 21, 2020. Deadlines, statutes of limitations, and statutes of repose that are not set to expire between March 23, 2020 and April 15, 2020 are not extended or tolled.

Delaware Chancery Court –  A drop box will be labeled and placed outside the entrance of each courthouse to accept files from individuals that do not have the ability to e-file.  The court will be solicitous of granting any reasonable request for extensions and urges flexibility and cooperation among the litigants.

District of Columbia – Postponed citation arraignments scheduled for March 17 through April 15 for eight weeks from their originally scheduled date. The court will hear only emergency matters in the civil, family court, probate and tax divisions and auditor master. All oral arguments through March 31 are cancelled. Furthermore, filing deadlines for motions and similar papers are being tolled from March 16 to March 31. In general, all other matters are postponed.

Florida

Florida Supreme Court – UPDATE: All jury selection proceedings and civil trials are suspended through April 17, 2020.  A proceeding that has been commenced may precede to completion at the discretion of the presiding and chief judge.   All circuit and county courts shall continue to perform essential court proceedings. Each chief judge shall review cases and court events and the communications technology resources available to the circuit, each county, and each judge. The chief judge shall issue directives to the judges of the respective circuit and county courts to reschedule, postpone, or cancel all non-essential and non-critical court proceedings and events unless the chief judge determines that such other specific proceedings or events can be effectively conducted remotely using telephonic or other electronic means available in the subject jurisdiction without the necessity of in-person court appearances.  These provisions shall remain in effect through April 17, 2020. 

Boward County – No public access for two weeks beginning March 16.

Escambia County – By order of the Chief Judge, effective immediately, all persons without official business or scheduled court proceedings will not be allowed entry into courthouse facilities in the First Judicial Circuit, in order to protect the public health and safety of our staff and citizens.

Hillsborough County, FL – open.

Miami-Dade – In civil matters, the court is moving to as many remote or telephonic hearings in as possible.  This includes family, circuit civil, county civil and probate cases.

Georgia

            Georgia Supreme Court – filing deadlines are suspended through April 13. After that, attorneys will have the same amount of time to file their documents that they had when the court order went into effect on March 14. The court encourages attorneys to file briefs and other documents where practical, since the court is still working on cases. The Georgia Supreme Court asked all attorneys, parties and other visitors to stay away from the court if they have a fever or symptoms of respiratory illness or if they have been exposed to anyone tested positive for the coronavirus or has the flu.

Illinois

Cook County – Update – All trials are continued until after May 18.  All depositions of high or higher risk parties or witnesses are to be conducted via telephone or video conferencing means. The physical oath-taking and stenographer in-person presence requirements are waived. Any objection to the waiver shall be made on the record and subject to review of the Court. Objections to this order may be made upon Emergency motion. The Court will make itself available for emergency purposes only, and matters will be addressed on a remote basis. Writing or exhibits sought before a deposition shall be exchanged electronically at least 24 hours before a deposition. Individual case management deadlines for providing medical records, social security records, pathology materials and other documents and materials in the possession of medical intuitions, etc., shall be extended by sixty (60) days. All deadlines in individual case management orders shall be extended by sixty (60) days. The Court will entertain oral motions and suggestions regarding all In Re: Asbestos Litigation related matters. No jury trials in criminal or civil cases will begin until April 16.The Court will enter any agreed trial date continuances and amended case management orders on matters assigned to the April through August 2020  asbestos Trial Call in 2020. Without an agreement, all cases assigned to the April and May 2020 Trial Call shall be modified in such a way to conform with a May 5, 2020 trial setting.

Madison County – UPDATE – All civil matters, including jury and non-jury trials, hearings and status conferences, are continued through and including May 22, 2020.  All arbitration, mediation, foreclosure matters and any hearings or trials associated with such dockets are continued through May 22.  This order applies to all Courts within the Third Circuit.  Per the Madison County Asbestos Judge, all jury trials are continued 30 days, and will be rescheduled for either the summer or fall of 2020.  The parties shall continue to participate in settlement conferences remotely and work to resolve cases and other related matters. 

Open with precautions. Case management hearings to be continued. All motion dockets or settings scheduled for the next 30 days (3/16/20) continued with agreement by the parties. Assigned judge to proceed with necessary precautions. The court will continue to conduct hearings on essential or timely matters if the presentment of a motion or petition cannot be conducted remotely by email, video or telephonic means. Presiding judges are afforded discretion to address issues not covered by this order. All depositions of high or higher risk parties or witnesses are to be conducted via telephone or video conferencing means. The physical oath-taking and stenographer in-person presence requirements are waived. Writing or exhibits sought before a deposition shall be exchanged electronically at least 24 hours before a deposition. Mandatory Settlement conferences: parties are encouraged to work remotely towards a resolution via email or telephone. The court will be available via telephone for any necessary participation. Agreed motions are to be submitted electronically with proposed Orders for Judge’s signature. All scheduled motions an settings may be continued by agreement of the parties. Any disputed motions may be decided by the Court after review of the submitted briefs and proposed Orders. The court may schedule telephonic oral arguments if requested and upon the Court’s discretion. All jury trials have been continued for thirty days. Trials affected will be rescheduled for a date to be set later, either summer or fall 2020. All arbitration, foreclosure matters and any hearing or trials are continued for thirty days.

McLean County – Order effective until April 10, 2020. Judges will be available to hear all matters determined by the Court as emergencies. Each party will receive an amended notice in the mail upon rescheduling of a case. Discovery will continue as scheduled. Motions and pleadings will continue to be filed electronically – all other matters shall be postponed and rescheduled unless the presiding judge decides a telephone/video conference is appropriate. Each judge is responsible for notifying all parties and counsel if the cases are being continued or if the case is not being continues, and the manner in which the hearings will be held.

St. Clair County – All civil jury trials, motion hearings, and status conferences are continued(canceled) for the next 60 days.  No jurors to report in the months of April and May

Macon County, IL – Civil trials and proceedings postponed through March 31. 

Iowa – The Iowa Supreme Court ordered that attorneys and parties notify their opposing counsel and appropriate clerk of court’s office if they suspect a participant in any proceeding has an elevated risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus. No one who has an elevated risk can attend any state court proceeding in person without court authorization. Attorneys must also ask their clients and witnesses whether they have an elevated risk of transmission, the order said. Potential state court jurors must notify the jury manager if they have an elevated risk of transmitting coronavirus, and the jury manager must reschedule them to a new service term. The court said it will also promptly consider requests from parties to change in-person proceedings to remote proceedings.

Louisiana – All jury trials, both civil and criminal, scheduled to commence in any Louisiana state court between the date of this Order and March 27, 2020, are hereby continued to a date to be reset by local order no earlier than March 30, 2020. By order of the Governor, all Legal Deadlines are suspended until April 13, 2020.

Maryland – UPDATE- The courts are closed the public until 5/1.  All jury trials between 3/17 and 5/1 are postponed unless by order of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.  Courts may conduct remote proceedings in accordance with previously established rules.  Clerks will continue to process files to the extent possible.

The Court of Appeals has ordered that all courts in the Maryland Judiciary, court offices, administrative offices, units of the judiciary, and clerk’s offices of the Circuit Courts are closed to the public on an emergency basis, effective March 16. Certain matters scheduled to be heard between March 16 through April 3 are postponed until further notice. Matters that can be heard by phone may proceed at the court’s discretion. The Circuit Court for Baltimore City will proceed with its asbestos Status Conference docket as court will conduct the conferences by telephone.

            Baltimore City – Angelos filed a motion asking the court to postpone any status conference hearings for their cases beginning March 30, 2020 to be continued to at least July 1, 2020. 

Massachusetts – the only in-person proceedings that will be held in state courthouses through at least April 6 are emergency matters that can’t be handled remotely. Only essential parties can enter courthouses, and only up to three members of the news media will be allowed in for an emergency in-person proceeding. All civil and criminal jury and bench trials scheduled to begin before April 17 are postponed until at least April 21, unless the proceeding is a civil bench trial that can be conducted remotely. All statutes of limitation are tolled through April 21. The state appeals court has ordered that all cases scheduled for oral argument during the remainder of March will be held by telephone.

Michigan – Wayne County Court closed until at least the end of March. No formal settlement conferences, but the judge is encouraging all parties to continue informal negotiations.

Minnesota – Proceedings in the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court shall continue as scheduled. Trials in any case that has commenced shall continue to conclusion, unless good cause exists to suspend the trial. Other than Super High or High Priority cases, no new jury trials will begin or be scheduled on or after March 16, 2020 for the next 30 days. Proceedings in any case type should be held through Video Teleconference to the extent practical.

Mississippi – Courts shall not permit gatherings of more than 50 people beyond the persons involved in the day-to day operations of the courts.  No proceedings that require witnesses or parties to travel from an infected area or that involve vulnerable persons. Individual judges have discretion to control their general dockets and are authorized to instruct their clerks that jury summons may not be send to jurors which would be returnable to any date prior to May 18.  Individual judges have discretion to postpone any trials through May 15.

Missouri 

St. Louis County, MO 21^st Circuit– Open with modifications. All jury trials scheduled for the weeks of March 16 and 23^rd, 2020 are continued and will be rescheduled to a later date. Hearings scheduled for the weeks of March 16 and 23^rd, 2020 will be continued and rescheduled. Each judicial officer is responsible for notifying all parties and counsel if cases/dockets are postpones and responsible for scheduling new dates. Individual hearings will be postponed and reschedules unless a specific judge assigned to the case notifies the parties that the hearing will proceed. Administrative orders will follow matters scheduled for the weeks that follow the 16 and 23^rd of March.

St. Louis City, MO 22^nd Circuit– Open with modifications. All Jury Trials are cancelled until April 13, 2020. Individual hearings will proceed unless the specific Judge assigned to that case takes action. Judicial officers are strongly encouraged to conduct hearings via video conferencing or alternative means.

New Jersey –UPDATED- New jury trials are suspended until further notice. Proceedings will be conducted remotely where possible. Time constraints for discovery will be relaxed and extended from March 16 through April 26. The time period for motions to dismiss for lack of prosecution will be tolled through April 26. The timeframe of service of valid and timely notices of Tort Claims tolled through April 26.   All time periods for discovery are extended through April 26.  The computation of time for discovery end dates between 3/16 and 4/26 shall be excluded.  Pending motions will be subject to telephone conferencing as of March 18. All municipal court sessions are suspended through March 27.

New York

New York Unified Court System – UDPATE: The Chief Administrative Judge ordered, effective 3/22 and until further order, no papers shall be accepted for fileng by a county clerk or a court in any matter of a type not deemed essential.  The order applies to both paper and electronic filings.  Essential papers

All non-essential court functions postponed. Civil jury trials in which opening statements have not commenced shall be postponed until further notice. All Motions arguments, except in exceptional circumstances, will be conducted by Skype or other remote means. Individual conference calendars shall be managed with a goal of minimizing courthouse appearances, maximizing adjournments and stipulations on consent, and directing remote appearances.

New York City Asbestos Litigation – UPDATE: Per Judge Mendez, all deadlines are tolled until the courthouses reopen, including the 45 day rule for making Motions for Summary Judgment. 

Weitz & Luxemberg, writing as plaintiffs’ liaison counsel for NYCAL and the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Judicial Districts,  asked the court to allow new in extremis cases be filed, allow plaintiffs to continue to work up in extremis cases currently set for trial, and work up cases that would otherwise qualify for in extremis status. 

Courts are closed except for essential matters.   The jury room is closed.  No other Civil trials shall commence until further Notice.  Pending Civil Trials will continue to conclusion.  All cases scheduled for trial and all cases scheduled for FIFO Blockbuster Conferences for the next three weeks are adjourned.  The court will notify the parties of the future date.  All Motions will be taken on submission on the adjourned date.  NYCAL Part 13 is closed. Until further notice, plaintiff’s counsel shall make appropriate arrangements for all counsel to appear via videoconferencing. The deposition should be streamed, such that all counsel are visible on the video feed, and the witness, plaintiff’s counsel and the examining attorney wear microphones that are turned on.

 

Monroe County –  All asbestos court cases including pretrial conferences before Judge Ark are adjourned until at least May 4^th. Any cases scheduled for report back in March or April 2020 before Judge Ark are adjourned.  No settlement conferences this month of any kind – all missed conferences to be held May 12.

Nevada

            Washoe County-  All currently scheduled non-essential hearings are to be conducted by video or telephonic means or rescheduled. All jury trials for the next 30 days are suspended and will be rescheduled.

Ohio

Cuyahoga County – Public health emergency may be considered a finding of “just cause” for continuances deemed necessary on a case-by-case basis. Civil and criminal jury trials are suspended for a period of 30 days. All in-person civil proceedings, except emergency hearings, are suspended for 30 days.  Civil proceedings may be conducted by phone at the discretion of the judge.  Filings may be mailed or hand delivered if not able to access e-file.  Non-essential proceedings are to be continued or conducted by remote video/telephone conference.  Any proceedings conducted electronically where a record is desired, the parties shall craft a statement in lieu of a transcript in accordance with appellate rules.

Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals ordered on March 16 that all state courts cancel all jury terms for 30 days and release jurors from service. All deadlines in any civil, criminal and juvenile cases are also suspended for 30 days. The statute of limitations is extended by 30 days in all civil cases, and judges will handle emergency matters and required proceedings on a case-by-case basis.

Pennsylvania – The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ordered all trial and intermediate appellate courts to close their doors entirely beginning at close of business on March 19, 2020, and lasting through at least April 3, 2020, subject to General and Specific Directives and Exceptions. The court has made a Supplemental ruling regarding commencement of a civil action by praecipe for a writ of summons for purposes of tolling a statute of limitations.

 

Allegheny County – General Motions are restricted to petitions for injunctive relief relating to public health concerns or Emergency Motions.  No Friday afternoon Discovery Motions.  Any case specially assigned to a Judge, parties should address that Judge regarding currently scheduled proceedings.  March and May trial terms are cancelled.

Bucks County – All time calculations for the purposes of time computation relevant to court cases or other judicial business, as well as time deadlines are suspended, subject to constitutional restrictions. The Bucks County Court of Common Pleas will remain open in a limited capacity subject to limitations. All Grand Jury as well as all jury and non-jury trials, both criminal and civil are suspended and will be rescheduled at a later date. Jurors shall not report for jury duty. All matters scheduled on the criminal and civil trial lists and miscellaneous lists including but not limited to arraignments and pretrial hearings (conferences) are cancelled pending further notice from the Court. Order will expire April 14, 2020 unless extended by the Court.

Dauphin County – Between March 17 and April 1, 2020 the Courthouse will be closed to the public. Certain proceedings deemed to be emergency in nature will be handled by telephone, videoconferencing, or in person if there is no alternative. The April criminal and civil jury trial is cancelled. In civil matters counsel is directed to file a new certificate of readiness or request status conference. All proceedings not cancelled by order shall be conducted by telephone or videoconferencing when possible.

Montgomery County – All jury trials through March 27 are canceled.

Northampton County – All jury trials and motions court through April 14 2020 are suspended. Asbestos pretrial conferences are also suspended. Deadlines are suspended. Civil jury trials scheduled for April 13, 2020 are continued to May 11, 2020. All hearings and proceedings held shall only be conducted by use of two-way simultaneous audio-visual communications.

Philadelphia County – All offices would be closed effective March 17, with limited exceptions. The closure will last until April 1.

South Carolina – All trials set between March 23 and May 1 are cancelled.  Emergency hearings shall be held at the discretion of the Chief Administrative Judge.  Former Chief Justice Toal, now the State’s Asbestos Judge, was given special permission by current Chief Justice Beatty to conduct hearings on Monday, March 23, 2020. 

            Richland County – All court proceedings are cancelled until May 1, 2020. Effective Friday, March 20, 2020, essential personnel for the Richland County Common Pleas Clerk of Court will be working remotely. As such, attorneys may continue to file all civil documents, pleadings, and necessary exhibits electronically. Richland County Jury and Non-Jury Trial rosters will continue to be published for the purpose of notifying litigants that their cases will be eligible for trial when the normal court schedule resumes. Telephone status conferences will be scheduled as needed.

Tennessee – Tennessee’s state and local courts have suspended all in-person proceedings from the close of business on March 13 through March 31, with certain exceptions. Deadlines — including statutes of limitations, orders of protection and temporary injunctions — that are set to expire between March 13 and March 31 are extended through April 6.

Texas

Texas Supreme Court – All courts may modify or suspend any and all deadlines and procedures, for a period ending no later than 30 days after the Governor’s state of disaster has been lifted. Anyone involved in any hearing, deposition, or other proceeding of any kind (except a juror), is allowed or required to participate remotely via teleconferencing, videoconferencing, or other means. All courts may extend the statute of limitations in any civil case for a stated period ending no later than 30 days after the state of disaster has been lifted.

Collin County – All nonessential court matters from March 16 to April 1 are being rescheduled. All in-person hearings and trials will be rescheduled during this time, unless designated as “essential,” a list that includes temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions and any suits or hearings with jurisdictional deadlines. Attorneys must contact each court regarding each setting. No uncontested matters will be heard. The courts are developing a plan for electronic appearances.

Dallas County – Canceled trials through May 8.

Harris County – Suspended civil jury trials for the rest of March. Submission Dockets will proceed as scheduled. Telephonic and Video Hearings will proceed as scheduled. All previously set, non-essential in-person, oral (non-telephonic) hearings and dockets are cancelled. Please contact the Court to reschedule your oral hearing for a later date or alternative method, unless the Court has already contacted you. Courts will consider conducting an oral (non-telephonic) hearing if: (1) all parties agree that such a hearing is necessary; (2) the parties file an agreed motion requesting an oral hearing; and (3) the motion sets forth a compelling reason supporting the request and explaining why no other means is adequate to resolve the issue for which the parties seek an oral hearing. All Essential Court Matters (temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions, Chapter 33 and Chapter 81) will proceed as scheduled. Contact the specific Court regarding the details of when and where the hearing will proceed. If a party believes their hearing needs to be classified as an Essential Matter, please contact the specific Court. All tax court proceedings are cancelled.

Houston – Houston County and District Civil Courts Closed until at least 3/20

Travis County – All in-person non-emergency hearings are canceled until April 13, 2020. All non-emergency hearings currently scheduled for the next four weeks are postponed and will be rescheduled through court administration.

Vermont – All nonemergency superior court hearings, including jury trials, are postponed until at least April 15. The courts will only schedule and hear certain emergency matters. Parties may participate in non-evidentiary proceedings remotely.  Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from entering state courthouses.

Washington

King County – Postponed all jury trials and juror summons until April 24. All civil pretrial and motion hearings will be held by telephone.

Pierce County/Tacoma – suspended all jury trials through April 24, except those already in progress. Bench trials will remain an option, and nonjury trials are not affected. All civil pretrial and motion hearings will be held by telephone.

Snohomich County – All civil jury trials are postponed until at least June 1. The court is barring anyone showing signs of illness from its courtrooms and program offices. The court is also capping the number of cases that will be confirmed on any court commissioner calendar at 10.

Spokane County – All civil jury trials are postponed until at least May 26.

 

Washington, D.C. – The D.C. Superior Court has postponed citation arraignments scheduled for March 17 through April 15 for eight weeks from their originally scheduled date. New jury trials in criminal cases are postponed until at least March 30. The court will hear only emergency matters in the civil, family court, probate and tax divisions and auditor master. In general, all other matters are postponed.

West Virginia – All trials and jury orientations between March 16 through April 10, 2020 are continued. With the exception of emergency matters, all hearings scheduled through April 10, 2020 are either postponed, or to be held via telephone or video technology.

Federal­

US Supreme Court – The high court postponed oral arguments scheduled for this month’s session running March 23 to March 25 and March 30 to April 1. The court is closed to tourists on March 12 until further notice, but the building will remain open for official business.

U.S. Tax Court – Building is closed until further notice, and various trial sessions through March and April have been canceled.

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals – The public is prohibited from entering the National Courts Building complex unless preauthorized by court staff and only as necessary to conduct or support essential court functions, effective March 16. The court said March 12 that some cases scheduled for the April 2020 sitting are being removed from the argument calendar and will be submitted on the briefs. For cases still on the calendar, the court said that if counsel for either party is located outside the Washington, D.C., area, the argument will be conducted by telephone conference at the same date and time it was originally scheduled. For cases involving all-local counsel, the court plans to proceed with in-person argument as previously scheduled, noting that parties in all cases will be notified individually on how the court plans to proceed in their case

D.C. Court of Appeals – The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has canceled all oral arguments scheduled through March 31. Filing deadlines on or after March 16 are also being delayed until March 31.

First Circuit Court of Appeals – Oral arguments scheduled for the month of April are canceled.

Second Circuit Court of Appeals – All filing dates and other deadlines between March 16 and May 17 are extended by 21 days. Arguments may be conducted remotely.

Third Circuit Court of Appeals – All courts within the Third United States Judicial Circuit are open and operational, despite a curtailment of certain court functions and the closure of several court facilities. Oral arguments will go forward as scheduled. Parties may request to appear by audio-conference by filing a motion. If a panel determines that argument should be presented telephonically, the Clerk’s Office will provide counsel with audio-conference instructions. Recordings of oral arguments will be made available on the Courts website within 24 hours after argument concludes. The Clerk’s Office will be open but minimally staffed. The majority of staff are working remotely and will return phone calls. During this time, the requirement to file hard copies of filings is deferred. Parties may request extensions of time either by motion or by calling the Clerk’s office. The Court is prepared to handle emergencies.

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals – Cases previously scheduled for argument during the March 17-20 and April 7 argument sessions will be heard at a later session, heard remotely or submitted on the briefs, at the direction of the assigned panels. The Powell Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, is closed to the public. Papers may be filed in the courthouse lobby, but those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, those with symptoms of COVID-19 and those who may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from entering the building.

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals –  UPDATE – Mail operations of the Clerk’s office are suspended.  Those without the ability to e-file (pro-se), deadlines are extended 30 days.

Counsel impacted by the coronavirus may request extensions “based upon justification,” according to the court’s website. The court has not modified filing deadlines or granted automatic extensions for any filing.

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals – Those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed are barred from entering any courtroom.

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals – All cases scheduled for oral argument from March 30 through the end of April will be argued via telephone. The courtroom in Chicago will be closed to the public, and the court is operating with reduced staff. Arguments will be recorded and posted on the court’s website. If all parties agree among themselves to waive oral argument, they may jointly file a motion with the court seeking permission to do so.

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals – The public is not being admitted to the Eighth Circuit Clerk’s Office. Those who come to the Burger Courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota or the Eagleton Courthouse in St. Louis to file may leave their documents at the front door to the office.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit courthouses are closed to the public during non-court weeks until further notice. The court is evaluating arguments currently scheduled for March, April and May and will give orders to the cases individually. Panels may exercise their discretion to submit cases without argument postpone argument to a later date or hold argument via telephone or video. Arguments will be live-streamed for the public.

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals – The Tenth Circuit closed its sole courthouse to the public from March 17 until further notice. The Denver courthouse will be restricted to judges, court staff, court security officers and service providers with official business with the court. All filings should be made electronically or via mail until further notice.

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals – The Eleventh Circuit has canceled its judicial conference, which had been scheduled for May 6 through May 9 in Atlanta. In the Eleventh Circuit, only judges, court staff, members of the media and visitors with official business with the court will be allowed into the two Eleventh Circuit buildings. Paper filing requirements are temporarily waived. Anyone who is experiencing flu-like symptoms or who has had a known contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus will not be allowed inside.

USDC – Alabama Northern – The Northern District of Alabama is prohibiting those who have tested positive for the coronavirus and those who may have been exposed to the virus from entering its courthouses. Also prohibited are those who have visited China, Italy, Japan, Iran or South Korea in the past two weeks.

USDC Alabama Middle – No jurors will be summoned for civil or criminal jury trials for 30 days as of March 17. All jury trials and trial-specific deadlines scheduled during that period are postponed for 30 days, as are all grand jury proceedings. Initial appearances, arraignments and detention hearings before the magistrate judges will continue remotely. Any proceedings that can’t be conducted remotely will be coordinated with the duty magistrate judge. Case-by-case exceptions to the procedures may be ordered for nonjury matters at the discretion of the court after consultation with counsel.

USDC – Alaska – In the District of Alaska, all civil and criminal jury trials set to begin on or before April 13 are postponed until further notice. Trial-specific deadlines in criminal cases set to begin before April 13 are postponed until further notice. All non-case related activities scheduled in the James M. Fitzgerald U.S. Courthouse in Anchorage and U.S. Courthouses in Fairbanks and Juneau are canceled until further notice.

USDC – Arizona – The District of Arizona has postponed all civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin on or before May 4 until further notice. All trial-specific deadlines in criminal cases scheduled to begin before May 4 are postponed until further notice, and judges may postpone deadlines for civil cases at their discretion. All grand juries that were scheduled to convene on or before April 17 are suspended. All court proceedings in the Tucson division through March 29 are postponed. Judges will conduct proceedings remotely where feasible.

USDC- Arkansas Eastern – In the Eastern District of Arkansas, all civil jury trials scheduled between March 18 and April 30 are canceled. Attorneys and parties must provide notice of potential exposure to the coronavirus. The court will use videoconferencing in preliminary criminal proceedings as needed.

USDC – Arkansas Western – All civil and criminal bench and jury trials are postponed and will be rescheduled to a date after May 1. Other civil and criminal matters that can be resolved without oral argument or handled remotely are unaffected. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or may have been exposed to it are prohibited from entering any courthouse.

USDC- California Central – Civil and criminal jury trials are postponed until April 13.

USDC – California Eastern – Civil and criminal jury trials are postponed until May 1. All courtroom proceedings and filing deadlines will remain in place unless a presiding judge orders otherwise.

USDC – California Northern – No jury trials will commence before May 1. All civil matters will be decided on the papers, or hearing will be held by telephone or videoconference.

USDC – California Southern – Civil and criminal jury trials are postponed until April 16. For the district’s bankruptcy court, all hearings will be conducted by telephone through April 16.

USDC – Connecticut – The District of Connecticut said Wednesday that all civil and criminal jury trials and jury selections scheduled to start before April 10 are postponed until further notice.

USDC – Delaware – The courts will conduct conferences and hearings by phone when possible and will consider any request to change a scheduled in-person proceeding to a telephone proceeding. All civil and criminal jury selections and trials scheduled to begin before April 20 are continued pending further order of the court. All deadlines set by Federal or Local Rules or Court Orders remain in effect unless modified by further Order of the Court. Individual judicial officers may continue to schedule and hold hearings, conferences, sentencings, and bench trials in the exercise of their sound discretion. Judicial officers are encouraged to conduct proceedings, including ADR, by telephone or video conferencing were practicable and as permitted by law.

USDC- Florida Middle – those with symptoms of COVID-19 and those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus are prohibited from entering any courthouse.

USDC – Florida Southern – All jury trials scheduled to begin March 16 through March 30 are postponed until further notice. All trial-specific deadlines in criminal cases scheduled to begin before March 30 are also postponed until further notice.

USDC- Georgia Northern – The Northern District of Georgia said Wednesday it is denying entry to anyone who has visited China, South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran in the past two weeks. The restriction also applies to those who have had close contact with someone who has visited those countries in the past 14 days, has tested positive for the coronavirus, been in contact with someone who has tested positive or been asked to self-quarantine by any hospital or health agency. Those denied entry may appear by teleconference with approval of the presiding judge.

USDC – Georgia Middle – no jury trials will be held for 60 days. Grand juries are not affected by the moratorium. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from entering any courthouse.

USDC- Guam – In the District of Guam, all jury selections and trials set to begin before April 26 are postponed until further notice. Criminal matters before the magistrate judge will proceed as usual. All grand jury proceedings are postponed to April 26, but the U.S. attorney may schedule proceedings for emergency or essential matters.

USDC – Hawaii – The District of Hawaii is prohibiting those who have visited China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea within the past two weeks from entering the courthouse, as well as those who have had contact with someone who has been in those countries, tested positive for the coronavirus, been in contact with someone who has been exposed to the virus or have been asked to self-quarantine.

USDC – Idaho – In the District of Idaho, all jury trials scheduled to begin on or before May 11 are postponed until further notice. All grand jury proceedings set to begin before May 11 are suspended. No in-person bankruptcy or civil proceedings will take place until further notice. Various criminal hearings before district judges will be postponed until after May 11, and all preliminary felony and post-conviction proceedings conducted by a magistrate judge will be conducted remotely. Those with symptoms and those who may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from coming to court.

USDC – Illinois Northern – All civil case deadlines are extended by 21 days. Civil case hearings, trials and settlement conferences scheduled from March 17 through April 3 are canceled and will be rescheduled by the presiding judge on or after April 6. On March 12 that all civil jury trials and jury selections scheduled to start before April 3 are postponed until further notice.

USDC – Illinois Central – All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before April 3 are postponed and will be rescheduled by the presiding judge. All petty offense proceedings are postponed and will be rescheduled by the presiding judge. All civil hearings, including settlement conferences, should be conducted by telephone or video conference. Criminal sentencing hearings and hearings on the revocation of supervised release are postponed until after April 3. Those who have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus should contact the court before appearing.

USDC – Illinois Southern – All in-person civil matters are postponed until further notice. Grand jury proceedings are unaffected. Only essential in-person criminal matters will occur. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from visiting the courthouse.

USDC – Indiana Southern – In the Southern District of Indiana, all jury trials are postponed through May 1. All other civil court proceedings will continue, although they may be done remotely at the judge’s discretion.

USDC- Iowa Northern – In the Northern District of Iowa, those who have tested positive for the coronavirus are prohibited from entering the courthouse, as are those who have been asked to self-quarantine, those experiencing symptoms and those who may have been exposed to the virus.

USDC – Iowa Southern – All civil and criminal jury trials set from March 16 to May 4 are postponed until further notice. Any further grand jury proceedings for the month of March are canceled.

USDC – Kansas – All criminal cases and matters scheduled for nonemergency hearings are postponed until further notice. Grand jury proceedings are postponed for at least 30 days. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms or were potentially exposed to the virus are prohibited from coming to court.

USDC- Kentucky Eastern – Civil and criminal trials scheduled to begin before April 17 are postponed for at least 30 days. All trials in progress will be completed at the discretion of the presiding judge. Grand jury and criminal proceedings will continue.

USDC- Kentucky Western – Civil and criminal trials scheduled to begin before April 17 are postponed for at least 30 days. All trials in progress will be completed at the discretion of the presiding judge. With certain exceptions, grand jury proceedings are also postponed.

USDC – Louisiana Eastern – All bench and jury trials scheduled to begin from now until May 1, 2020 are continued to a date to be reset by each presiding judge. Those continuances do not continue any pending deadlines other than the trial dates. Civil and criminal in-person hearings scheduled before May 1 are postponed. All grand jury proceedings are suspended until May 1. Attorneys should contact the presiding judges in their continued cases if they seek to modify such other deadlines. All in-person hearings, proceedings, and conferences scheduled to from now until May 1, 2020 are continued and will be reset by each presiding judge. The parties may seek relief from such continuances by written motion to the presiding judge in exceptional circumstances.

USDC – Louisiana Middle – All criminal and civil trials are postponed until at least May 1. All in-person civil hearings scheduled through April 10 are postponed and will be rescheduled by the presiding judge. All grand jury proceedings are postponed until further notice. Criminal matters before magistrate judges will take place remotely or in-person. Rearraignments and sentencing hearings scheduled before April 10 are postponed. Statute of limitations deadlines are interrupted until April 13. No in-person filings will be accepted before April 13.

USDC – Louisiana Western – All jury trials set to begin before May 1 are postponed and will be rescheduled by each presiding judge. Grand jury proceedings will continue. Judges may hold in-person hearings, and parties are encouraged to participate in non-sentencing hearings remotely. Public access to the Louisiana Western District Clerk of Court Offices in the Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport divisions is suspended. Any court filings may be time-stamped and placed in the drop box located in each division.

USDC – Maine – In the District of Maine, all jury selections and jury trials set to begin before any district or magistrate judge are postponed until further notice. All grand jury proceedings are also postponed until further notice.

USDC – Maryland – The Court has postponed until further notice all civil and criminal jury selections scheduled to begin before April 24. All other proceedings that were scheduled from March 16 through March 27 are postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. All filing deadlines in the same time period are extended for two weeks. All in-court proceedings in the Southern Division U.S. Courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, are suspended until further notice. All emergency matters in the Southern Division will be heard in the U.S. Courthouse in Baltimore.

USDC – Massachusetts – The Massachusetts District Court announced that while the courthouses in Boston, Worcester and Springfield will remain open, all jury trials scheduled to begin before April 27 are postponed until further notice. Individual judges can continue to hold hearings, conferences and bench trials if they want, but the court is encouraging them to do so by telephone or video conference.

USDC – Michigan Eastern – Prohibiting people who have visited China, South Korea, Italy and Iran in the last two weeks from entering any district courthouse until further notice

USDC – Michigan Western – Judges are making case-specific assessments on what matters can be postponed or handled remotely.

USDC – Minnesota – All criminal and grand jury proceedings are postponed until April 16. All jury trials are postponed through April 27, as are trial-specific deadlines.

USDC – Mississippi Northern – All proceedings should be conducted remotely where possible. For petty offenses, the hearing dates set to address misdemeanor citations in April and May will be continued until June and July, respectively. The cases set for the March hearing date will be disposed of at the discretion of the presiding judge. Public access to courthouses is limited to essential business.

USDC – Mississippi Southern- all non-essential matters set for hearing or trial in any federal courthouse within the Southern District are hereby continued through March 31, 2020. As to all other currently set matters during this period, the presiding judge shall have sole discretion to determine whether they are essential and should go forward, or whether they can be conducted by videoconference or telephone. Each judge will so notify the affected parties and reset the matters as appropriate. These continuances will not affect any other deadlines unless the presiding judge so indicates. All proceedings scheduled or typically undertaken in person should be continued or conducted by video/telephone conference.  The Court will entertain motions to continue on a case-by-case basis. Public access to the courthouses will be limited.

USDC – Missouri Eastern – All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before May 31 are postponed. Proceedings should be held remotely where possible. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from visiting any courthouse.

USDC – Missouri Western – All civil and criminal jury trials and grand juries are postponed through March 29, and trial-specific deadlines are postponed through the same date. All nonemergency criminal and civil hearings are postponed through March 29. Criminal matters before magistrate judges will continue to take place. Bankruptcy hearings and trials through March 29 will be held remotely or postponed.

USDC – Montana – All jury trials set to begin on or before May 1 are vacated, to be reset by order of the presiding judge. The order does not vacate any pending deadlines other than trial dates and final pretrial conferences. Grand jury proceedings are also vacated through May 1. Individual judges may hold nontrial proceedings in-person or remotely at their discretion. Continuance of creditors meetings in bankruptcy court will be suspended through April 16. Section 341 meetings will be postponed or conducted remotely.

USDC – Nebraska – All jury trials set to begin in March are postponed until further notice, as are all grand jury proceedings scheduled for the month of March.

USDC – Nevada – In the District of Nevada, all trials and their associated deadlines are postponed until April 10. All non-case related events are postponed.

USDC- New Jersey – All civil and criminal jury selections and trials scheduled to begin before April 30 are postponed until further notice. Judges can continue to hold proceedings at their discretion and are encouraged to conduct proceedings remotely. No new grand juries will be empaneled before April 30, but sitting grand juries may continue to meet. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from entering any district courthouse.

USDC – New Mexico – The District of New Mexico postponed all civil and criminal jury trials set to begin on or before April 10 until further notice. All trial-specific deadlines in criminal cases scheduled to begin before April 10 are also postponed. All grand jury proceedings are postponed until further notice.

USDC – New York Southern – All civil and criminal jury trials that were scheduled to begin before April 27 are postponed until further notice.

USDC – New York Eastern – All civil and criminal jury trials that were scheduled to begin before April 27 are postponed until further notice. For all criminal matters that had preliminary hearings before magistrate judges scheduled for March 18 through April 27, preliminary hearing deadlines are extended 60 days after the initial appearance.

USDC – North Carolina Eastern – Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms of COVID-19 or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from visiting any courthouse without permission from the chief judge.

USDC – North Carolina Western – judges are staggering their hearings, and hearings will be held in the largest courtroom available. Non-evidentiary hearings should be conducted remotely where possible.

USDC – Northern Mariana Islands – All scheduled civil and criminal jury selections and trials are postponed until further notice. All grand jury proceedings are postponed unless otherwise ordered by the chief judge. The schedule for all other civil and criminal hearings will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the presiding judge.

USDC- Ohio Southern – Certain in-court proceedings will continue but on a limited basis. The court will not have additional jury trials for 30 days beginning March 17. Proceedings that don’t require in-person meetings will continue at the discretion of each judge.

USDC- Oklahoma Northern – All civil and criminal matters scheduled for in-court appearances are postponed until further notice, as are their related deadlines. All grand jury proceedings are postponed until further notice. Case-by-case exceptions to nonjury matters may be ordered. Civil and criminal motions that can be resolved without oral argument are unaffected.

USDC- Oklahoma Southern – Jury trials on the April docket are postponed. The presiding judge will address trial-related deadlines. Three grand jury sessions scheduled for March and April are canceled.

USDC- Oregon – Civil and criminal jury selections and trials scheduled to begin before April 26 are postponed until further notice. All grand jury proceedings scheduled before that date are postponed. All other civil and criminal matters scheduled for an in-court appearance before April 26 are postponed unless they can be resolved remotely or without oral argument. The District Clerk’s Office is closed to the public in all locations but available by phone. Filings will be processed electronically and by mail.

USDC – Pennsylvania Eastern –  Open with limitations. All trials scheduled to begin through April 13 are continued.

USDC – Pennsylvania Middle – All hearings and proceedings in civil and criminal cases are postponed for 60 days as of March 13, with exceptions for certain individual cases.

USDC – Pennsylvania Western – All hearings and proceedings in civil and criminal cases are postponed for 60 days as of March 13, with exceptions for certain individual cases. Conduct proceedings by telephone where practicable and permitted by law.

USDC – Puerto Rico – All civil and criminal nonjury trials, hearings and conferences are postponed until further notice, but certain ongoing trials will continue. Grand jury proceedings will continue as scheduled. All deadlines set from March 16 through April 9 are extended until April 10. The bankruptcy court will not be open to the public through March 30. All hearings scheduled from March 16 through March 30 are postponed and will be rescheduled individually.

USDC – Rhode Island – The courthouse building at One Exchange Terrace, Providence, is closed to the public until further notice. The court operations in the John O. Pastore Building in Providence will be closed Tuesdays and Thursdays and will be open for limited purposes only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The presiding judge’s case manager will cancel all in-person civil matters and arrange remote hearings where possible. All grand jury proceedings and ongoing criminal hearings are postponed unless the person’s liberty interests are involved. Those who are required to appear in Rhode Island’s district court, including those who are called as jurors, must contact the court before appearing if they are experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

USDC – South Carolina – All civil and criminal jury selections and trials scheduled to start through May 8 are postponed until further notice. All grand jury proceedings scheduled through May 8 are postponed unless otherwise noted by the chief judge. In all civil cases, deadlines are extended 21 days, but statutes of limitation are not tolled. All other civil and criminal matters scheduled for an in-court appearance before May 8 and their associated deadlines are postponed, unless the matter can be resolved remotely.

USDC – South Dakota – All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin on or before April 24 are postponed until further notice. Nonjury matters will proceed as scheduled unless otherwise ordered by the presiding judge, and parties are encouraged to participate remotely where possible. All grand jury proceedings scheduled before April 24 are postponed until further notice.

USDC – Tennessee Eastern – Civil and criminal jury trials set to begin on or before April 24 are postponed. Cases not scheduled for a trial will proceed as scheduled, but oral proceedings will be conducted remotely where possible. Grand jury proceedings in Greeneville and Chattanooga are suspended through April 24. All misdemeanor, petty offense and traffic dockets scheduled through April 24 are postponed.

USDC – Tennessee Middle – Postponed civil and criminal jury selections that were scheduled to begin March 17 through March 30. All grand jury proceedings scheduled to take place between March 17 and April 30 are postponed, as are related deadlines.

USDC – Tennessee Western – All civil judicial proceedings currently scheduled are postponed until after April 17. Criminal proceedings that don’t require in-person appearances are postponed until after April 17. All civil and criminal jury selections and trials scheduled to begin on or before April 17 are postponed until further notice. All grand juries already selected will not meet until after April 17.

USDC – Texas Northern – Postponed all civil and criminal bench and jury trials scheduled to begin through May 1 until further notice. The postponement does not include other deadlines besides the trial date. All grand jury proceedings through May 1 are postponed, and all deadlines, including the statute of limitations, are suspended through May 1.

USDC – Texas Southern – All jury trials are suspended until April 1. The federal courthouse in Houston will remain open for other matters, including matters scheduled for hearing in bankruptcy court.

USDC – Texas Eastern – Attorneys and parties were ordered to communicate if court proceedings could cause someone to come into contact with an individual exposed to or infected with the virus.

USDC – Texas Western – All civil and criminal bench and jury trials scheduled to begin before May 1 are postponed. Each presiding judge will reset those dates, and the postponement does not apply to any pending deadlines other than the trial dates. Grand jury matters will proceed normally. Parties are encouraged to participate in nonsentencing proceedings by telephone or video.

USDC- Utah – All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before May 1 are postponed until further notice. All trial-related deadlines in criminal trials scheduled to begin before May 1 are postponed until further notice, but criminal trials already underway as of March 16 will continue. Judges can postpone trial-related deadlines in civil cases at their discretion. All grand jury proceedings are suspended through May 1.

USDC – Vermont – All civil and criminal matters scheduled for in-person court appearances are postponed until further notice. The court’s order does not affect motions that can be resolved remotely or without oral argument. All grand jury proceedings are postponed until April 23.

USDC – Virginia Eastern – All civil and criminal proceedings scheduled to occur through March 31 are postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. The grand jury is not meeting, but the district is permitted to seek documents and testimony for return dates after March 31. All filing deadlines between March 17 and March 31 are extended by two weeks unless otherwise ordered by the presiding judge. The court’s order does not apply to the statute of limitations.

USDC – Virginia Western – All in-person civil, criminal and bankruptcy proceedings scheduled on or before March 31 are postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled on or before April 30 are postponed and will be rescheduled. All misdemeanor, traffic and petty offense dockets on or before April 30 are postponed, and all Veterans Treatment Court, Reentry Court and Drug Treatment Court sessions on or before March 31 are canceled. Grand jury proceedings scheduled between March 18 and March 31 are postponed.

USDC – Washington Eastern – All in-court hearings in civil and criminal cases scheduled through April 14 are vacated until further notice, and case-related deadlines are suspended. All grand jury sessions before April 13 are vacated. Magistrate judges can evaluate their essential proceedings on a case-by-case basis.

USDC – Washington Western – All civil and criminal hearings and trial dates scheduled to occur before June 1 are postponed until further notice. Individual judges may decide to proceed with remote conferences as appropriate. All grand jury proceedings scheduled before June 1 are postponed. All initial criminal appearances and detention hearings will be conducted remotely with the defendant’s permission, unless the court directs otherwise. The bankruptcy court will continue with scheduled non-evidentiary hearings by telephone as posted on www.wawb.uscourts.gov and announced by the individual bankruptcy judge.

USDC- Washington, D.C.- All federal civil and criminal jury trials in D.C. federal courts have been put off starting March 17 until at least May 11, while other proceedings are postponed until April 17. Federal trial and bankruptcy courts in D.C. will remain open with limited operations

USDC- West Virginia Northern – Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus are prohibited from entering any courthouse.

USDC- West Virginia Southern – All civil and criminal jury trials and grand jury proceedings are postponed until further notice.

USDC – Wisconsin Eastern – All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before May 1 are postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. All petty offense, reentry court and grand jury proceedings are also postponed. Civil hearings should be conducted remotely.

USDC – Wisconsin Western – Will remain open and proceedings will go on as scheduled. Those who feel ill should stay away from the courthouse.

USDC- Wyoming – Judges are conducting matters remotely where possible.

Businesses should be proactively addressing environmental compliance issues and realities during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To stymie the spread of COVID-19, many federal, state, and local governments have issued emergency orders, shelter-in-place requirements, and varying moratoriums on non-essential industries.  All of these actions significantly impact how every industry conducts business. Environmental compliance is not immune, and these limitations on regular business activities may have a significant impact on a business’s ability to meet the many environmental requirements of statutes, regulations, and even consent decrees.

Businesses facing environmental regulation should be reaching out to their regulators for guidance on how best to adjust and adhere to compliance mandates given the current reality. Many federal and state agencies have issued guidance stating a willingness to adjust compliance deadlines, or allowing modification to facility staffing requirements to avoid violations.  For instance, while all individual NPDES permits have requirements for routine monitoring and/or sampling, shelter-in-place orders that result in workforce reductions may make compliance with these timelines impossible.  However, a temporary stay or adjustment to monitoring requirements is not automatic.  Reaching out to request assistance or guidance from federal, state, or local regulators to ensure compliance with environmental laws and orders may help to prevent confusion when the current crisis ends. 

Further, for those businesses operating under settlement orders or consent decrees, one avenue that may be available during the COVID-19 outbreak is to use the force majeure provisions of their respective settlement agreement or consent decree.  A standard force majeure provision in an environmental consent decree allows deadlines in the order to be modified if circumstances beyond the control of the regulated entity prevent compliance with the order.  Such provisions typically require the affected party to notify the agency of the force majeure event upon becoming aware of the event that will cause a delay, not after the delay has occurred.  While each force majeure provision should be reviewed for any specific requirements, businesses requesting relief should be prepared to provide an explanation of: (a) the reason for delay, (b) the duration of the delay (if known), (c) actions being taken to minimize the delay, (d) any measures being taken to mitigate the delay, (e) a statement as to whether the delay in compliance may cause or contribute to endangerment to public health or the environment, and (f) any documentation supporting the claim.

Every business is being impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic in some way. To help mitigate the impacts related to compliance with environmental laws, regulations, and orders, proactively working with federal, state, and/or local regulators is in your company’s best interest, particularly during these uncertain times.

For additional information on environmental compliance and regulation during the COVID-19 outbreak, please contact our offices or follow these useful links:

Jurisdiction	Website
Federal	https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-policy-guidance-publications
Delaware	https://news.delaware.gov/2020/03/20/update-on-dnrec-operations-in-response-to-covid-19/
Illinois	https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/Pages/default.aspx
Indiana	https://coronavirus.in.gov/
Louisiana	https://www.deq.louisiana.gov/page/covid19
Mississippi	https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,21866,420.html
Missouri	https://dnr.mo.gov/env/
New Jersey	https://www.nj.gov/dep/
New York	https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
Pennsylvania	https://www.dep.pa.gov/Pages/AlertDetails.aspx
South Carolina	https://www.scdhec.gov/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
Texas	https://www.tceq.texas.gov/response/covid-19

 

If you have any questions about this article, please contact

Robert W. Petti at [email protected]

Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC or at (312) 767-1314

About our Firm

Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC was founded more than 20 years ago in Wilmington, Delaware, and has grown from a boutique toxic tort practice to a national powerhouse with more than 100 attorneys located in 12 offices across the United States.  The firm represents public and private entities of all sizes.  The firm provides litigation services to companies in the areas of business and commercial litigation, products liability, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, environmental regulation and personal injury.  The firm also acts as national trial counsel and provides national coordinating services and risk management for clients in the areas of mass toxic tort, products liability, personal injury, environmental regulation and litigation.

Maron Marvel is pleased to announce that Director Scott W. Henry was recognized as a 2020 Illinois Super Lawyer (Class Action).  Additionally, the following four attorneys in the firm's Chicago office were selected as 2020 Illinois Rising Stars:

• Daniel S. Alexander – Civil Lit: Defense
• Kyle R. Clapper – Civil Lit: Defense
• Leslie A. Federer – PI – Products: Defense
• Lauren Zabrin – PI – Products: Defense

Congratulations to these exceptional attorneys.

Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC has been retained by Alex Spiro, Jay-Z, and RocNation in the lawsuit filed on behalf of mistreated inmates over inhumane conditions at Parchman Prison.  Maron Marvel shareholder, Marcy Croft will serve as lead Mississippi Counsel.

 

Parchman is a century-old, maximum security prison built on the site of a former slave plantation in northern Mississippi.  The notorious institution operates in a perpetual state of crisis where prisoners live under barbaric conditions, and eight inmates have died in the last month alone. 

 

“The situation at Parchman is an ongoing and lethal humanitarian crisis,” said Croft, who was inside Unit 29 earlier this week when yet another inmate committed suicide.  “I have watched this week as people blamed the crisis at Parchman on gang-violence and the use of cell phones.  It’s infuriating.  Gangs don’t cause black mold to grow on walls, or rats to swarm over people as they sleep.  Gang-violence doesn’t underpay the guards and understaff the facilities.”

 

Despite the dire conditions, the Maron Marvel legal team remains hopeful for a swift resolution.  “These issues transcend partisan politics.  The actual conditions at Parchman, especially in Unit 29, are far more horrific than what has been reported in the media.  We have to believe that once our fellow Mississippians, and newly elected officials, understand daily-life for guards and inmates at Parchman, they will rush to do the right thing,” said Croft.

 

About Marcy B. Croft:

Marcy Croft is a native Mississippian with over twenty years of experience litigating high-profile cases.  She is the Chairperson of the firm’s Fraud, Audit, and Investigation Practice Group, and has served as local and national counsel for Fortune 500 companies in product liability and exposure cases throughout the country.  Recognized as one of the nation’s leading mass tort defense attorneys, Croft was placed on the inaugural “Top 250 Female Litigators in America” list by Benchmark©.

 

About Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC.

Maron Marvel has offices in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.

We are pleased to announce that the following attorneys have been promoted to Director (effective January 1, 2020): Dan Alexander in the Chicago, Illinois office; Jaime Careathers in the Jersey City, New Jersey office; and Preston Lee in the Jackson, Mississippi Office. 

 

•Dan Alexander focuses his practice on the defense of products liability, trucking and transportation, construction negligence, premises liability, subrogation, breach of warranty, and breach of contract actions. 

 

•Jaime Careathers focuses his practice on defending companies, insurers, businesses, and property owners facing asbestos and other toxic tort and hazardous substance claims.  He is also a dedicated advocate and volunteer for others in need, providing pro bono counsel, guidance, and a helping hand whenever possible, as well as a passionate animal lover and has volunteered for shelters and reserves in the United States and abroad.

 

•Preston Lee represents numerous firm clients for the defense in product liability, premises liability, personal injury, environmental, construction defect, and toxic tort matters. His background in the field of environmental biology and his diverse experience allow him to provide a unique legal perspective and deliver successful solutions to his clients' litigation issues.

 

Congratulations to Dan, Jaime & Preston on this accomplishment.