On July 13, NYS Chief Judge Janet DiFiore provided this video updating the public and she states that as of this past Friday, July 10th, all courts outside New York City have entered into Phase 4 and it’s progressing well. She acknowledged the efforts of the Administrative Judges and their staff in the 5th, 6th, and 7th Judicial Districts for leading the way in safely opening those courts eight weeks ago. NYC courts entered Phase 3 on July 8th, and a number of in-person operations have resumed, and this week NY County Supreme Court will be resuming a criminal jury trial that was suspended in March due to COVID-19 outbreak.
Also this week, summonses are being mailed to prospective Grand Jurors across New York City in preparation for the commencement of grand jury proceedings in all five boroughs beginning August 10th. Virtual capacity has also been expanding over the last two weeks in NY Family, Civil and Housing Courts, and the Chief Judge highlighted the great job being done at the Criminal Courts. Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases around the country, effective July 15th, judges and nonjudicial staff will also undergo temperature screening upon their arrival at the workplace and conduct a daily COVID self-assessment by answering a series of questions on their computer or on a hard copy form.