Broward moves court appearance hearings to remote-only

Broward courts, in a small but significant bid to slow the spread of the latest COVID variant, are putting a stop to in-person hearings for first appearance court, every defendant’s first step into the justice system after arrest.

Courts in South Florida have declined to make many adjustments even in the wake of the recent spread of COVID’s omicron variant, which has led to a skyrocketing number of cases in the state and long lines of residents waiting to get tested.

Broward Chief Administrative Judge Jack Tuter said reverting to online-only hearings for first appearance court, starting Monday, will have the greatest impact on inmates, attorneys and Broward Sheriff ’s Office detention deputies, who will reduce personal interaction until further notice.

In Miami-Dade, masks have been mandated again for more than two weeks. It remains the only county in Florida to take that step — Broward and Palm Beach have declined to force jurors or courthouse employees to cover their noses and mouths.

In-person hearings remain the exception rather than the rule in Broward, Tuter said. Civil and criminal court pre-trial hearings have been conducted either remotely or in a hybrid fashion, with some lawyers and participants making their way from courtroom to courtroom while others check in remotely.

For the most part, trials are in-person, although in some cases judges are limiting courtroom access by allowing observers to access proceedings with video-conferencing software. Jurors who are forced to sit together in courtrooms are often separated by plexiglass barriers.

“Justice has to proceed,” Tuter said. “We can’t just grind to a halt until the pandemic is over. But we’re doing everything required to make sure everyone’s health and safety is protected.”