Federal courts in Maryland will close to the public starting November 16 as COVID-19 cases are surging across the region, with Maryland reporting eight consecutive days of at least 1,000 new infections.
With Maryland’s positivity rate exceeding 5 percent for the first time since June and health metrics spiking across the nation, Governor Larry Hogan this week announced a statewide order to reduce indoor dining capacity from 75 percent to 50 percent. State health officials also issued a public health advisory strongly discouraging indoor gatherings of 25 people or more.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland — which has locations in Baltimore City, Greenbelt, and Salisbury — in September resumed a limited number of in-court proceedings with appropriate safety precautions.
According to an order from Chief District Judge James K. Bredar:
Effective November 16, 2020, all in-court hearings and proceedings in the District of Maryland are SUSPENDED. Chambers will contact parties and counsel regarding any scheduled in-court proceedings. Some of these proceedings will be transferred to virtual formats and all others will be postponed; and it is further
ORDERED that no members of the public and no counsel, parties, witnesses, or other court users may enter any U.S. Courthouse in the District of Maryland without prior permission from the Chief Judge, the Clerk of the District Court, or the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court. No members of the public may enter any U.S. Probation Office in the District of Maryland without prior permission from the Chief U.S. Probation Officer.
Visit the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland website for more information.
