Northeast Arkansas courts announce re-opening

JONESBORO, Ark- As the state continues to re-open in person court will resume next week but with multiple changes, including location as Craighead County Judge Marvin Day says things will be different moving forward.

“In a jury trial you’ve got lots of people so we’re looking at alternate sites, says Judge Day. “We don’t think we have a room big enough for social distancing guidelines to be able to do that…so gymnasium, warehouse buildings, etc, etc to house jury trials. There will be somethings that are different once we go forward.”

Judge Day says district court will be conducted on a first come-first served bases over a video platform with court staff in the courtroom and individuals in the hallway.

Starting next week circuit court will be back in session for plea hearings with groups of five being allowed inside at a time.

One will appear before a judge over a monitor inside the courthouse on the union street side according to day.

Poinsett County Clerk Holly Henderson says they are working out the details to resume district court.

“We are hoping to have a run through tomorrow with the chief of police and all the officers,” says Henderson. “We know that we are going to be taking temperatures. We are going to be asking questions that the governor has said. We are also only going to have one person in the courtroom at a time possibly and we will be sanitizing directly after court.”

Social distancing will be required as well as wearing mask, and you will need to provide your own.

They also mentioned being patient as this is new territory in the judicial system.