While the state prepares to enter Phase 1 on Friday, there are still many aspects of state government operating on reduced capacity. That includes North Carolina’s courts, which are determining when to begin full proceedings again.

North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley pushed back most court proceedings until at least June 1, giving the court system more time to devise a strategy of how to return. But like most places in our community, its normal setup will have to change to accommodate social distancing.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck. Like many courts in the state, he said Orange County’s have remained open during this time but are only handling the most serious of cases.

“We have a constitutional duty to keep the courts open and that’s a really important obligation for our citizens,” he said. “It’s not necessarily making sure a person’s traffic ticket is dealt within 30 days, it’s more pressing matters.”

But when considering how to handle more and more cases as the state reopens, Baddour said plenty of challenges arise. He said with how many people are typically in a courtroom, it would be difficult to properly keep six feet apart if everyone is present for a case.

“How do we address both aspects of this intersection the courts lay in,” the judge posed, “between public health and open courts? And how does that actually happen in the moment, in a particular hearing?”

For now, the efforts to address that have been significantly decreased amounts of people in courtrooms and using more virtual communication for cases. The United States Supreme Court, for example, is hearing oral arguments over the phone this week for the first time ever.

In Orange County, Baddour said it’s not been without some obstacles and breaks in tradition.

“Probably the most challenging [thing],” he said, “is getting people on board with addressing cases in a Zoom-like platform. People are so used to being in court, seeing and hearing, being able to literally touch everyone there in the room.”

The judge said, though, some aspects of court procedures have become more efficient. He said he could see permanent changes coming thanks to this, like handling more matters or filings online.

“That’s sort of where I see the future going,” said Baddour. “If there’s a silver lining in all this for the court system, for me, that’s it: our ability to work faster and more efficiently, but still fairly and in a way that can save folks’ money in a court process.”

The courts are not listed in Governor Roy Cooper’s three phases of reopening the state. If public health trends continue, North Carolina could enter Phase 2 as early as May 22.

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