In addition to its Order last Friday which can be found HERE , Chief Judge Rodney W. Sippel today ordered the following measures in response to COVID-19:
- The United States Courthouses located within the District shall remain open, but office hours for the Clerk of Court shall be reduced to 10am to 3pm;
- All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before May 31, 2020, are continued and shall be rescheduled by the presiding judge to a date after May 31, 2020; and
- All proceedings shall be conducted by means other than in-person meetings wherever possible by law and as directed by the presiding judge in the proceeding. Any proceeding not deemed essential by the presiding judge in the proceeding that does require in-person meeting will be continued until further notice by the presiding judge.
In criminal cases, the Court finds that the time period of any continuance entered from the date of this Order through May 31, 2020 as a result of this Order shall be excluded under the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A), as the Court finds that the ends of justice served by taking that action outweigh the interests of the parties and the public in a speedy trial, given the need to protect the health and safety of defendants, their counsel, prosecutors, court staff, and the public by reducing the number of in-person hearings to the fullest extent possible, and due to the inability of the Court to ensure that a fair cross-section of jurors is available during the specified time.
A signed copy of the Order is attached below. Please direct any further inquiries to:
Gregory J. Linhares
Clerk of Court United States District Court - Eastern Missouri
111 S. 10th Street, Suite 3.300
St. Louis, MO 63102
greg_linhares@moed.uscourts.gov
(314)244-7890
