All In-Person Court Proceedings Are Suspended in Massachusetts
In a further effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Massachusetts’ highest court has decreed that, starting tomorrow, March 18, 2020 and continuing until at least April 6, 2020, the only in-person proceedings that shall be held in any Massachusetts state courthouses will be to address emergency matters that cannot be resolved through a videoconference or telephonic hearing, either because such a hearing is not practicable or because it would be inconsistent with the protection of constitutional rights.
Each Court is to adopt a Standing Order outlining what constitutes an “emergency”. As part of this extraordinary effort, all jury trials in progress shall be declared a mistrial based on the manifest necessity arising from the pandemic. All statutes of limitations are also tolled from the date of the Order through April 21, 2020. The complete order can be found here.
If you have any questions on the impact to your pending or anticipated litigation, please feel free to contact Bernkopf Goodman LLP and Jason Manekas at j[email protected] or 617-790-3308. From the Bernkopf Family to yours, please be safe and follow the CDC and WHO guidelines.