Coronavirus Impact: Pandemic Could Bring About Virtual Courtrooms
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Got a traffic ticket, but don't know what to do now that courts are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Here is what the legal system is doing to ramp up courts during this worldwide crisis:
Lawyers from the Ticket Clinic say, "Of course, get a lawyer but you can go old school."
Ted Hollender says: "You can speak with the court, communicate with them, mail in a plea of not guilty. You can do that now by mail, register a court date, with a not guilty plea."
If courts are still closed on your date. The court will reset the date and notify the person who received the citation with a new date.
Just remember not to write off your legal obligation just because courts are closed.
"I have seen no memorandum at all saying that deadlines for a person who has a traffic ticket is going to be relaxed. The deadline is still in place. A person has 30 days to take care of a traffic violation. That is not extended," said Hollender.
Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade judicial system is scrambling to get up and running.
They are working their way into a virtual courtroom for hearings, motions, status hearing, and even traffic courts could go that way.
Judges are undergoing training right now. Jury trials at this point not being considered, but lots of court actions are.
This could be the future.
Judge Jere Beth Cohen says, "I don't think this is going away and that we are experiencing growing pains, kicking and screaming to learn to do it. I think this is going to be a game changer. Both in civil, family and probate divisions as well. Lawyers will not have to come in to wait to see the judge."
Lawyers, judges, clerks and even defendants realize there might be a future where everyone involved will be sitting in front of a computer and court will be in session.
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