Which Type of Cases are the Los Angeles Courts Dealing with in Today's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Lockdown?

Believe it or not, all 38 Los Angeles criminal courts are still open for business as I write this in late March, and they will likely remain so throughout this pandemic.  I don't think there's going to be a complete shutdown of the courthouses.

However, unless things really get out of control, I think the reason for this is that there are a lot of people in custody. Also, the criminal justice system in Los Angeles County is vast, with many cases being processed through it.

If they shut it down for too long a period, it would obviously have a disastrous effect on any future criminal cases being handled in these courthouses.

Serious Felony Criminal Cases

Even though there are numerous prosecutors, police, and judges, they can only take so much action, and I think that's another reason why many police officers are currently not making as many arrests.

But the bottom line is, if it's a real serious criminal case, most of the courts seem to be having the hearings on those cases even though I've seen some of the preliminary hearings settings in felony cases just automatically continued into April without the defendant actually being brought into court or the attorney even being in court.

Primarily, the cases they're targeting and allowing to proceed in criminal court are new arraignments, especially when the person is in custody.  Even out-of-custody arraignments are still being dealt with.

In addition, although preliminary hearings are being continued, defendants are still required to appear in court with their attorney. There must be a time waiver, which they must agree to, to put the case over to April, May, or June, depending on the type of case and the amount of custody time the person is actually looking at.

Preliminary Hearings and Arraignments

So, those are the two main categories of cases — preliminary hearings and arraignments — that are being heard.  The order by the presiding judge of Los Angeles County regarding criminal cases is somewhat vague.

It states that all cases are supposed to be continued, except for arraignments and preliminary hearings; however, it doesn't clearly direct clerks or judges on how to proceed with these cases or outline the procedure.

That has caused some individuals to continue the cases on their own without actually having the defendants appear in court, while other courts are requiring defendants to come into court, even for preliminary hearings, as seen in Los Angeles County.

So, you really have to ensure that you coordinate with the court, and that's what we've been doing.  Day after day, we're calling the courts.  We're contacting the court clerks, and if we're in doubt, we'll obviously go to court with our clients.

We don't want a bench warrant to be issued for our clients or put them in a bad position, especially with the threat of jail time looming when the Coronavirus is spreading rapidly.  You don't want your clients going to jail if they don't have to.

Communication with the Courts During Coronavirus Lockdown

We have a pretty good reputation with most of the courthouses in Los Angeles County.  We've had fairly success in handling these cases by making calls to clerks and attending court appearances.

I think I've made a court appearance every day since all of this started, and we're still making them because we have a lot of cases and a large number of clients who are in custody and need our assistance.

Obviously, I'm trying to argue for my clients to get out of custody on their own recognizance because of the danger of COVID-19 going through the county jail system very quickly. They are unable to contain it due to the close quarters, and I've also tried to resolve cases and get my clients out of custody by working out resolutions.

Often, depending on the type of case, its serious nature, and whether the defendants pose a threat to public safety, this largely determines whether we have a good chance of resolving the case and releasing the person from custody.

So, if you or a loved one is in custody and you want to have your matter handled by an attorney with extensive experience and a proven track record of success in these cases, pick up the phone.

Call right now.  Often, I'm able to be retained on the case very quickly and can make some moves on your or your loved one's behalf to get them out of custody.

Hedding Law Firm is a criminal defense law firm located at 16000 Ventura Blvd, Suite 1208, Encino, CA 91436. We are also located at 633 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Contact us for a free case evaluation at (213) 542-0979.