DETROIT— December 7, 2020. The current suspension of all matters at the 36th District Court, with the exception of felony arraignments, emergency evictions, and virtual felony exams, will continue through January 3, 2021. All scheduled matters during this period will be adjourned to a later date, and all parties will be properly notified.
This announcement extends the temporary closure that had been previously enacted on November 18, 2020 due to the rise in positive COVID-19 cases throughout the region. The continued increase in the weeks that have followed necessitated this course of action.
Chief Judge William C. McConico stated, “In the process of arriving at this decision, many factors were considered, and the potential benefits and harms were heavily weighed. I have regularly been receiving the most up-to-date data from the both the City and the County Health Departments, which have shown that we are in an even more critical position now than we were before Thanksgiving in ensuring that our hospital systems do not become overwhelmed. The coming holidays also present a concern.
“Additionally, the 36th District Court is the largest District Court in the State of Michigan, which places us in a unique situation in terms of what we need to do to protect our employees, our justice system partners, and the public during this pandemic. Operating in this limited capacity still requires dozens of our employees to enter the building every single day. To best protect the lives of everyone involved, especially considering that our community is disproportionately affected by this virus, further action needed to be taken” continued Chief Judge McConico.
The Court appreciates the patience and understanding of all parties during this time. For further updates and information, please visit the Court’s website at www.36thdistrictcourt.org.