Butler, Ripley courts take new step toward normalcy

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Courts in Butler and Ripley counties will take another step forward to normalcy on Monday.

The 36th Judicial Circuit will move into operating Phase Four, under pandemic guidelines issued by the Missouri Supreme Court.

Social distancing and mask requirements will remain in courtrooms under the new phase, said Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett.

Among the biggest changes in Phase Four is the circuit will no longer be required to revert to Phase Zero or Phase One if there is a positive COVID-19 case in a court facility, he said.

About half of the state’s courts are now in Phase Four, the highest phase currently established under Supreme Court guidance, Pritchett said.

“At this point, there is no phase above that and I don’t know that there will be,” Pritchett said.

Phase Four also lessens quarantine requirements for those exposed to COVID if they have been fully vaccinated.

Court personnel who have lesser interaction with public will additionally have fewer mask requirements while interacting with court staff, Pritchett said.

The 36th Circuit is in the process of catching up on a backlog of jury trials, Pritchett explained. It’s a process he believes could take at least a year, but adds that’s a best guess estimate.

“We still have to monitor what the local conditions are regarding COVID and the CDC guidelines,” Pritchett said.

Pritchett currently has 24 jury trials on his docket for June, but noted some of those will not go because plea or settlement deals may be reached.

The majority of those trials are criminal.

“The priority will be given to criminal cases in which the defendant is incarcerated. Those will be the first on the list,” he said. “If you look at the dates that are available (for jury trials), I don’t have any open dates until May of next year.”

Typically, Pritchett said, his calendar is only booked for about six months in advance.

The court will still be required to maintain social distancing in Phase Four.

Because the size of the courtrooms is too small to allow that during jury selection, the courts are using off site locations for this process. The Black River Coliseum and the Tinnin Fine Arts Center have been used in Poplar Bluff, with His Place Church used in Ripley County.

During trials, jurors are seated in a cordoned off section of the audience gallery to allow for social distancing, Pritchett said.

Witnesses can remove their masks for testimony, and the court has Plexiglass dividers in certain areas.

“I think there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” Pritchett said.

“I’m not aware of any positive case in the courthouse for several months now.”