Tuolumne County Courts Enact Coronavirus Restrictions
Sonora, CA — While local courts are still in session, COVID-19 concerns are limiting access on who may attend.
Tuolumne County Superior Court officials say that have adopted a proactive approach to minimize public interaction within court facilities. While continuing to maintain judicial processes without scaling back operations to only essential functions, they have enacted procedures to reduce the number of people who are allowed to physically enter the facilities.
They have taken steps to limit proceedings in which large numbers of persons would have to appear and allow for physical distancing in connection with the matters that continue to be heard.
They have rescheduled all jury trials falling within a specified period, continued a large number of matters, and broadened the types of matters in which it allows telephonic appearances via CourtCall in lieu of in-person appearance.
Effective Wednesday, April 1, due to facility constraints involving insufficient room-size and physical layout, only those persons whose appearance is required for courtroom
matters or specifically authorized by law to participate in courtroom matters will be permitted
past the screening stations at both courthouses in Sonora at 41 West Yaney Avenue and 60
North Washington Street.
Those permitted into the courthouses will generally be: the parties involved in court cases and their counsel; witnesses who have been subpoenaed or otherwise requested to testify; members of the media; persons who have been ordered to appear at a proceeding; and persons who are authorized by statute to participate. Only the abovementioned persons will be allowed past or allowed through the security screening stations at the courthouses. The order and these restrictions remain in effect until further court order.
Officials clarify that the preventative actions are not intended to limit the ability of any party, attorney, or member of the public to access the clerk’s office for any regular business at the clerk’s office, such as filing papers, making payments, and accessing records.
Currently, only the clerk’s office at 60 North Washington Street is open for regular business for both civil and criminal matters. The computer terminal in the lobby also remains available to the public for access to court records. The clerk’s office at 41 West Yaney Avenue is now closed until further notice.
Anyone objecting to the order in any way may submit an objection in writing for response to Court Executive Officer, Hector X. Gonzalez, Jr., at 41 West Yaney Avenue, Sonora, CA 95370.
