{"id":27285,"date":"2020-08-04T12:48:48","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T19:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=27285"},"modified":"2020-08-04T12:48:48","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T19:48:48","slug":"keeping-courthouses-clear-of-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=27285","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Courthouses Clear of COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles, Ca (August 04, 2020) –\u00a0Seeking to keep Los Angeles County courthouses clear of COVID-19, the Board of Supervisors called for stronger health and safety measures to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnhancing our existing health and safety measures is critical \u2013 not only to slow the spread of COVID-19, but also to protect the constitutional and human rights of everyone entering our courthouses, including jurors, counsel and defendants,\u201d said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, principal author of the\u00a0motion<\/a>. \u201cAffording due process should not unnecessarily expose individuals attending mandatory court procedures to serious health risks \u2013 especially when those risks can be avoided or mitigated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCourt personnel, jurors, lawyers and defendants are all entitled to a courthouse workplace that is as safe as we can possibly make it,\u201d said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, the motion\u2019s coauthor. \u201cWith today\u2019s motion, we are insisting that health and safety procedures be put in place so that all can be protected from exposure\u00a0to COVID-19 in our courthouses.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the courts reopened on July 6th<\/sup>\u00a0after weeks of closure prompted by COVID-19, the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, began implementing a range of health and safety measures recommended by the LA County Public Defender and endorsed by the LA County Board of Supervisors. Additional measures may be necessary, however, given the recent surge in infections.<\/p>\n

\u201dPublic Defenders are on the front line of Los Angeles County\u2019s Justice System, and it is now in the era of COVID that our calling as Constitutional Warriors is on full display,\u201d LA County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said. \u201cAccess\u00a0to justice is enshrined in the 6th amendment and the presumption of innocence; they are the foundation of our criminal justice system. I wholeheartedly support the Board\u2019s motion to strengthen COVID-19 protections in Los Angeles County\u2019s justice system\u00a0for everyone\u00a0visiting and working in the County\u2019s courthouses.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their motion, Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Kuehl noted that the LA County Sheriff\u2019s Department (LASD) notified the Public Defender that many of its attorneys may have been exposed to COVID-19 by clients who tested positive for COVID-19 while in jail. In addition, many clients come to Court from jail without being tested beforehand.<\/p>\n

On June 26th, the Department of Public Health recommended that LASD stop transporting clients with pending test results. However, given recent changes around testing, opportunities to identify positive asymptomatic in-custody clients prior to transportation to Court has declined. Also complicating matters is inconsistent compliance with the Presiding Judge\u2019s July 6th<\/sup>\u00a0order requiring social distancing and the wearing of masks in courthouses.<\/p>\n

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and Kuehl\u2019s motion instructed the County CEO, in collaboration with the Public Defender, Sheriff, and the Directors of DPH, the Correctional Health Services (CHS) within the Department of Health Services (DHS), the Internal Services Department (ISD), and the Alternate Public Defender (APD), to report back to the Board in 14 days with recommendations on:<\/p>\n