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DELAWARE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

 The First Stop for Paralegals in the First State

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  • July 17, 2020 11:02 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE IN RE: COURT OPERATIONS UNDER : STANDING ORDER RE: THE EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES : CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CREATED BY COVID-19 : JURY SELECTIONS AND : JURY TRIALS

    AND NOW, this 16th day of July, 2020, pursuant to the Revised Standing Order dated May 27, 2020, and in order to further public health and safety, the health and safety of Court personnel, counsel, litigants, other case participants, jurors, security personnel and the general public, and in order to reduce the number of gatherings necessarily attendant to trial jury selection in this Court, and in order to minimize travel by participants in Court proceedings, particularly travel by public conveyance, it is hereby ORDERED as follows: 1. Effective this date, all civil and criminal jury selections and jury trials in the District of Delaware scheduled to begin before August 31, 2020, are continued pending further Order of the Court. The Court may issue further Orders concerning future general continuances of any matters as may be deemed necessary and appropriate. All jury selections and trials affected by this Order will be reset by further Order of the assigned judicial officer.

    FOR THE COURT:

    /s/ Leonard P. Stark, Chief District Judge

    View Full Order Here

  • June 22, 2020 1:11 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

     AND NOW, this 22 day of June,  2020, pursuant to the Revised Standing Order dated May 27, 2020, and in order to further public health and safety, the health and safety of Court personnel, counsel, litigants, other case participants, jurors, security personnel and the general public, and in order to reduce the number of gatherings necessarily attendant to trial jury selection in this Court, and in order to minimize travel by participants in Court proceedings, particularly travel by public conveyance, it is hereby ORDERED as follows: Effective this date, all civil and criminal jury selections and jury trials in the District of Delaware scheduled to begin on or before July 31, 2020, are continued pending further Order of the Court. The Court may issue further Orders concerning future general continuances of any matters as may be deemed necessary and appropriate. All jury selections and trials affected by this Order will be reset by further Order of the assigned judicial officer. FOR THE COURT: /s/ Leonard P. Stark, Chief District Judge


    Read Full ORDER HERE

  • June 18, 2020 1:36 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 18, 2020 Delaware Courts to Close for Juneteenth Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. announced today that the Delaware Courts will be closed on June 19, 2020 in honor of Juneteenth. The Delaware Judiciary action follows the announcement by Gov. John Carney earlier today that government offices in the State of Delaware will be closed in recognition of Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States. “In the days to come we’ll be sharing updates on current projects and new initiatives to help us live up to our responsibility to provide equal and impartial justice under the law,” said Chief Justice Seitz. Like other state holidays, while court facilities will be closed, the state’s three 24-hour Justice of the Peace Courts will remain open.

  • June 08, 2020 3:37 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    THE COURT OF CHANCERY HAS ISSUED COURTROOM PROTOCOLS THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED, EFFECTIVE JUNE 8TH 2020, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REOPENING OF THE COURTHOUSES. 

    View full text here

  • May 14, 2020 10:57 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. extends Judicial Emergency to June 13, 2020 MAY 14, 2020 Today, in consultation with the other members of the Supreme Court, Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. extended the Judicial Emergency and related orders, due to the public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, until June 13, 2020. This is the second 30-day extension of the March 16, 2020 Judicial Emergency Order. This means that court facilities will continue to be closed to the public at least through June 13, 2020, or until the order declaring a judicial emergency is modified or lifted. “Our State continuesto operate under the Governor’s emergency declarations. Those restrictions—vital to protecting the health and safety of Delawareans—do not presently allow us to increase activity in judicial facilities,” said Chief Justice Seitz. “Therefore, I have entered an order today extending the judicial emergency declaration until June 13, 2020. As I have noted before, with the exception of trials, all state courts continue to use video and audio platforms to conduct as much court business as possible. The goal is to work down each court’s non-trial casework so we are prepared for increasing court operations when health and science experts tell us it is safe and reasonable to do so.” The Delaware Judiciary is working on detailed plans to gradually increase activities at judicial facilities. The Court Reopening Committee, led by Superior Court Judge William C. Carpenter, Jr. and staffed by judicial officers and employees from the state courts, our judicial system partners, and a medical expert on infectious disease, is drafting the plan for a gradual and safe increase in activities at all judicial facilities. The Committee hopes to have a final report and recommendation in May, with a possible “first phase” limited increase in judicial facility activity in June. In announcing the extension of the Judicial Emergency, Chief Justice Seitz thanked Judicial Branch employees that continue to work each day at judicial facilities and remotely from home. He also expressed his gratitude to all those who work in the court system. “Thank you once again for your public service,” he said. To see the full text of the order please visit:

    https://courts.delaware.gov/rules/pdf/COVIDOrderCJS3.pdf

  • March 31, 2020 2:18 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

    FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE

    In Re: Grand Jury Suspended :

    Through April 30, 2020 :

    Due to Exigent Circumstances : STANDING ORDER

    Created BY COVID-19 :

    WHEREAS, the federal government and the State of Delaware have issued guidance, restrictions, and mandates to limit the amount of person-to-person contact and to require social distancing in order to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus;

    NOW, THEREFORE, in order to further public health and safety, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that all grand jury sessions are suspended through April 30, 2020.

    IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that as to the computation of time for the filing of an information or indictment as set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3161(b), the period of time from April 1, 2020 through the earlier of May 1, 2020 or the date the next grand jury reconvenes is deemed excludable delay under the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A), as the Court finds that the ends of justice served by taking this action outweigh the interests of the parties and the public in a speedy trial.

    /s/ Leonard P. Stark_______________

    Leonard P. Stark

    Chief, United States District Judge

    Review Order here

  • March 22, 2020 2:56 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 22, 2020

    All Delaware Court facilities ordered closed to the public until April 15, 2020.Only limited exception is for 24-hour Justice of the Peace Court locations Delaware Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. today ordered all court facilities closed to the public as of Monday, March 23, 2020 until at least April 15, 2020 as part of the Delaware Judiciary’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In his order, the Chief Justice noted that the escalation of the spread of the COVID-19 virus now requires greater precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of litigants, practitioners, court staff and the public. “Since the declaration of a judicial emergency on March 14, 2020, the courts have done remarkable work using video and telephone instead of in-person appearances while postponing non-emergency matters. Despite these measures to reduce the traffic in our state courthouses, we have had several possible exposures which have been reported publicly. Given the escalating nature of the public health emergency, we needed to take further measures to protect the safety of the courts and our justice partners while keeping essential judicial functions operating.” said Chief Justice Seitz. The Chief Justice also thanked all those who continue to keep our justice system functioning under these trying circumstances. Courthouse staffing will be reduced starting Monday to focus on handling emergency and essential matters, particularly those involving criminal justice. The 24-hour Justice of the Peace Court locations in each county (Court 11 in New Castle County, Court 7 in Kent County and Court 3 in Sussex County) will remain open for payment of bail for all courts and emergency criminal and civil filings for the Justice of the Peace Court. Those employees not directed to be part of the limited staffing of the courts are being directed to stay home and, as directed, work remotely until further notice. Each courthouse will provide a method – such as a drop box – for attorneys and the public without access to e-filing who need to file paper documents when e-filing is not available. When practical, the courts shall provide an email address for attorneys and the public to email documents which will be considered filed with the court when received. The order signed by the Chief Justice also suspends certain requirements for sworn declarations or verifications.

    For additional details, please see the text of the order HERE


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