County courts remain open for now, but will shift cases in which a defendant has waived speedy trial rights.

For now, Monterey County Superior Courts remain open for business, even as uncertainties hang in the air when it comes to COVID-19 and the ongoing global pandemic.

It's uncertain, for example, how many court staff will be unable to come to work in the next few weeks, owing to the order issued March 13 to close all Monterey County public schools, effective Monday.

"As the announcement about school closings only came out on Friday afternoon, we won’t know until tomorrow how many employees will not be able to come to work due to the school closures," Court Administrative Officer Chris Ruhl stated in an email sent in response to questions from the Weekly.  "Based on our rough estimates, we will continue to be able to conduct court business with some adjustments."

What is certain: The court is taking action to reduce the number of both defendants and juries coming to the courthouses. One jury trial, of Salinas physician Steven Mangar, who is accused of running a prescription pill mill through his practice, is due to begin on March 16. The jury in that case has already been selected.

"For those weeks when we do need to call in jury pools we will be staggering the times they report so as to minimize the number of jurors in the Salinas jury assembly room at any one time," Ruhl stated. "We have taken about half the chairs out of the jury assembly room and have spaced the remaining chairs further apart."

The court also is working on ways to reduce crowding and congestion in other areas of the courthouses where people tend to congregate, such as the hallways, the Self Help Center, Misdemeanor Arraignment Court in Salinas and other high-volume courtrooms and calendars such as the Child Support and Restraining Order calendars.

Per order of Monterey County Superior Court Presiding Judge Julie Culver, here’s what’s going to happen for certain defendants:

First, for all misdemeanor and felony cases in which the defendant is out of custody and has waived their right to a speedy trial, any new hearings will be set at least 60 days out.

Second, for all misdemeanor and felony cases with an in-custody defendant who has waived their speedy trial rights, any new hearings are also to be set at least 60 days out from the current hearing date, unless they are seeking bail or release on their own recognizance, or the alleged crime is such that the defendant would get out of custody with time serves within 60 days.

And third, for any pending trial in which the defendant has waived time, the trial date is to be reset at least 60 days out from the date currently set.

On March 13, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye issued a statement on the court system's response to the pandemic.

It reads, in part, as follows: "The authority to adjust or suspend court operations rests with local court leadership, taking into account local health authority guidelines. Each court has different challenges and is working with local stakeholders to craft the best protections. Many courts are using their authority to modify practices or extend timelines, and some are appropriately requesting emergency orders from me to support their local needs."