Controlling outbreak at the courthouse
Private defense attorneys who conduct business in the Allegheny County Courthouse have a legitimate concern: They say they aren’t being informed when there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 among court employees with whom they may have come in contact.
Although court officials have had more than three months to come up with a plan for notifying people when there is a confirmed case of the coronavirus, defense attorneys say they found out about recent cases only because of courthouse rumors that were later confirmed.
At least 12 people who work in the court system, including six working in the courthouse, have tested positive for COVID-19 since June 25, but defense attorneys said they were not notified.
There is no excuse for such a lack of communication and notification on the part of court administrators. Just as wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands are key components to slowing the spread of the coronavirus, so too are testing and contact tracing. People who may have come in contact with an infected person need to be notified as quickly as possible if there is any hope of slowing the spread of the virus.
Several defense attorneys who spoke out about the situation at the courthouse said their fear is that they might unknowingly be infected and carry the virus with them to client meetings in jails outside of the county.
Court administrators said in a statement that they are working on a plan to communicate positive test results to attorneys while maintaining the privacy of those who tested positive. Since the complaints from defense attorneys first surfaced, hearings in the criminal division of the county court system are now being handled by videoconference until July 17. That’s a wise precautionary move to keep the court system functioning while still protecting participants from the potential spread of COVID-19.
In the meantime, court officials need to develop a clear plan for informing all involved in the court system about any new positive cases of the coronavirus. The plan must be transparent and ongoing so that information is passed along as soon as possible and appropriate measures are taken to mitigate exposure.
Without a robust notification system, potential carriers could be spreading the virus throughout the regional legal system.