The Bellefontaine Municipal will be conducting all of its hearings at the Logan County Jail from Monday, July 13, through Thursday, July 16.
The use of the courtroom at the jail, 284 S. County Road 32, Bellefontaine, is with full cooperation of the Logan County Common Pleas Court. The temporary move is necessitated to allow installation of technology and security equipment at the Municipal Court, which the Court was able to procure with the receipt of three recent technology grants awarded by the Ohio Supreme Court, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
The Court has yet to conduct a jury trial since the Emergency and Executive Order 2020-01 issued by Governor Mike DeWine declaring a State of Emergency, and the Official Declaration by the World Health Organization declaring the COVID-19 to be a global pandemic.
However, changes have been made to comply with social distancing and sanitizing.
No one is admitted into the court building unless they have business to conduct. Security guards take the temperature of everyone before granting entry to the court and make the recommended inquiries about travel, symptoms, and contact with others who have been diagnosed with the virus.
Disposable masks/face coverings are provided to anyone who does not have one of their own. Entry is limited and arraignment hearings are staggered to accommodate 6 feet of social distancing. Scheduling conferences, pretrials and some plea hearings are conducted via video conferencing.
Jury trials are expected to begin in September. In the meantime, with the exception of garnishments, default judgments and some eviction cases, all cases are scheduled for trial and conducted within the new safety provisions.
The same provisions will be provided at the Logan County Jail for the Municipal Court hearings slated for July 13 through 16. Everyone scheduled for hearings must appear, unless excused in writing by the judge.
The Bellefontaine Municipal Court will be closed for training Friday, July 17.