A message from the Chief Justice on in-person hearings Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Throughout the Judicial Branch, juvenile court staff, reporters and recorders, administrators, law clerks and the members of the clerk of court offices have all worked to make our return to in-person proceedings as safe as possible. The return to in-person proceedings is necessary to fulfill our obligation to provide a forum for litigants, protect the vulnerable, and make sure the rights of those accused of crimes are met. Thank you for meeting the challenge and the contribution each of you have made in creating the safest possible environment for in-person proceedings.

Working our way through the pandemic will not always be smooth. There will be events that disrupt our ability to provide in-person proceedings. When an event does occur, the safety of our judicial branch team members and the public is our foremost concern. This may require us to pause or delay in-person proceedings. As we have demonstrated over the past several months, we have been able to perform our essential functions even when in-person proceedings have been restricted. Our presiding judges, unit administrators, and our clerks of court, working together, have the flexibility to increase or decrease in-person proceedings to fit the present circumstances in each district.

Thank you to all of the court staff, judges, lawyers, bailiffs, and law enforcement for your dedication in keeping the court system running. For your health and for the safety of others, I encourage you to continue to follow good social distancing practices.

Jon J. Jensen

Chief Justice

North Dakota Supreme Court