Coronavirus has brought change to local courts Tuesday, March 31, 2020
West Fargo Pioneer
It's not uncommon for 50 people to sit in a Cass County courtroom as they wait for their cases to be called by a judge, and finding an empty spot that's not next to a stranger can be difficult.
But a worldwide pandemic has changed how the court operates. On a recent Friday, I sat alone in the gallery of a courtroom, watching a judge set bail for inmates who appeared from the Cass County Jail via teleconference. Another inmate who usually would be brought to the courthouse for his hearings sat in a jail room filled with chairs as he appeared remotely for an hourlong review hearing on whether he could represent himself at trial.
Along with more remote court hearings, the schedule for hearings has become much lighter.
Read more at: https://www.westfargopioneer.com/news/crime-and-courts/5017120-Coronavirus-has-brought-change-to-local-courts.-Will-it-last