Miami-Dade State Attorney: Media Advisory: Miami-Dade Courts Reopening To The Public Effective June 28

Press release from Miami-Dade State Attorney:

June 17, 2021

Click here for the PDF version of this release.

The Honorable Bertila Soto, Chief Judge of the Miami-Dade Courts, has issued Administrative Order 21-11, terminating Phase 2 COVID-19 Emergency Court Operations effective June 21, 2021, and reopeningto the public all court facilities effective June 28, 2021.

New court operations outlined in AO 21-11 are enacted under recent guidance from the CDC and the Florida Supreme Court AOSC21-17. The following is an overview of key operational changes, but all those involved in court proceedings are encouraged to carefully review AO 21-11 in its entirety. The full text of AO 21-11 is downloadable below.

1. Effective June 21st, masks are no longer required, however:        a) Masks may still be worn        b) Masks are strongly encouraged for those who are not vaccinated        c) Masks will be provided to court participants upon request.

2. Effective June 21st, physical distancing is no longer required; however, physical distancing maybe accommodated upon request for in-court proceedings, at the court’s discretion.

3. Effective June 28th, all court buildings will be open to the public. Judges and court staff will be working from their assigned courthouse locations.Any court public areas previously closed during COVID-19 emergency operations willbe open to the public effective June 28th.4. Zoom hearings will continue for certain court proceedings, and in-person court proceedingswill be expanded as detailed below:     a) Court proceedings already scheduled for Zoom will remain on Zoom, unless changed by thepresiding judge     b) If a court proceeding has been scheduled for Zoom, appearance by Zoom is required     c) If a court proceeding has been scheduled for in-person appearance, in-person attendance isrequired at the location specified on the Notice of Hearing     d) The Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department shall not bring to court any inmate with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis, or who is in quarantine due toCOVID-19.

Division-specific court proceeding operations are listed in Appendix A-J of AO 21-11, which detail whattypes of proceedings will continue to be available on Zoom, and which proceedings will resume in person.

Individuals with existing appointments for court services such as Drive Legal, Family Court Services andMediation should follow the instructions listed on their Court Order or appointment notice. Instructions for future appointments will be provided accordingly. A full listing of court services and contactinformation is listed here.

Online court services such as Online Case Resolution and SOPHIA for the Family Court Self Help Programwill continue.

The full text of Administrative Order 21-11 is downloadable from the link below.

The full text of Florida Supreme Court Administrative Order AOSC21-17 is downloadable from the linkbelow.

Please visit website www.jud11.flcourts.org for more information and updates.

# # #This  release was distributed by the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. For additional information, you may contact Eunice Sigler, Director of the Office of Government Liaison & Public Relations, at (305) 349-7189 or Esigler@jud11.flcourts.org.

This press release was produced by Miami-Dade State Attorney. The views expressed here are the author’s own.