PRESIDING JUDGE KEVIN C. BRAZILE ANNOUNCES MANDATORY USAGE OF FACE COVERINGS
Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile announced today that all Los Angeles County Superior Court bench officers will be required to wear face coverings while on the bench and in public areas inside courthouses. “The Court is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public, attorneys, justice partners, judicial officers and employees,”
Presiding Judge Brazile said. “Most medical and healthcare experts recommend the use of face coverings during this pandemic. Paired with the protocols for social distancing, we can help to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our courthouses and communities.” The Court has provided each judicial officer and employees with two face masks to use while at their courthouses. Court employees also are required to wear face coverings.
“By mandating that bench officers wear face coverings, we will also decrease the chances of an asymptomatic Judge or Commissioner spreading the virus to others,” Presiding Judge Brazile said.
Exceptions to the Presiding Judge’s directive may be made for judicial officers to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, to address medical conditions and for recognized good faith reasons, such as religious beliefs. Although the Court is exempt from the County’s order requiring people to wear masks in public, it has strongly encouraged the use of face coverings in the courthouses.
The Court gives out paper masks at courthouse entrances for any member of the public who does not have one. In addition, the Court is only handling essential, time-sensitive proceedings to keep as many people as possible out of the courthouses during the Safer-At-Home orders. The Court also has implemented the use of remote appearance technology and established customer service call centers to provide alternatives to coming to courthouses. For the latest updates on Coronavirus/COVID-19-related impacts to Court operations, please consult the Court’s COVID-19 News Center located at the top of our homepage (www.lacourt.org) and follow us on Twitter (@LASuperiorCourt).