Ryan Horsman, Presiding Judge of the 43rd Circuit, entered two administrative orders on Nov. 23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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One order suspends all jury trials in the 43rd Circuit, which comprises Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb and Livingston counties. Circuit clerks in those counties were ordered to suspend summoning and impaneling all petit jurors for all jury trials set to be heard through Dec. 31, 2020. The trials will be rescheduled to a later date by the judicial officers presiding over the cases.
A second order issued by Judge Horsman returns Daviess County to Phase One COVID-19 guidelines, as set forth in the Order and Operational Directives issued by the Supreme Court of Missouri on July 24, 2020. Judge Horsman’s order was issued due to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Daviess County courthouse.
Missouri courts were initially under a Supreme Court order issued March 16, 2020, which suspended most in-person court proceedings at Operating Phase Zero, which is the most restrictive phase. The initial order was in response to the governor’s declaration of a state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19.
Additional versions of the Supreme Court guidelines were issued on May 4, 2020, and on July 24, 2020. The guidelines lay out four different operating phases for Missouri Courts, with Phase Zero being the most restrictive and Phase Three being the least restrictive.
Daviess County has been operating in Phase Two of the restrictions, but with this order, Phase One guidelines will be followed.
The operational directives issued by the Supreme Court are designed to assist courts to ensure public safety when making decisions at the local level. Accordingly, presiding judges are monitoring local circumstances and conditions to determine which operating phase should apply to each circuit and each local court.