Over the last several weeks, as the threat posed by the coronavirus to families across the United States has become clear, the response from court systems across the country has varied significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. And while the situation continues to evolve rapidly, this early lack of a coordinated approach or release of nationally recognized best practices for courts is understandable given the absence of leadership from President Donald Trump and his administration in the face of the outbreak. But this type of mismanagement from the White House has the potential to significantly contribute to mass confusion and delays in civil and criminal matters across the country and must be addressed.
Why the administration must prioritize courts in its COVID-19 response
A 2007 report co-authored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance recognized the threat that a pandemic such as the coronavirus poses to the legal system. Discussing workforce reductions resulting from widespread illness, the DOJ bluntly explains: “Such a reduction of available human resources could be catastrophic to the continuation of court services.”
The problem is heightened with a disease such as COVID-19 in particular: It poses an increased threat to older adults, and judges, on average, are substantially older than the general populace—meaning they are at even greater risk if exposed to the virus. But in addition to judges themselves—as well as older jurors or parties to cases—courthouses are often busy, full buildings where hundreds of people may come and go throughout the day. This raises the chance for those with serious chronic medical conditions who are also at heightened risk to be exposed to the virus as well. Continue reading.
The president has characterized the pandemic as a “foreign virus” and suggested that banning people from other countries is key to fixing the outbreak at home.
On Wednesday morning, medical experts, including National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, were testifying before the House Oversight Committee on what to expect from the coronavirus epidemic in the United States. According to Fauci, “The bottom line: It is going to get worse.” Again and again, the information provided in the hearing completely contradicted the rosy statements that have been coming from Donald Trump and other White House officials and warned of a dire situation ahead.
The speaker and president have different plans to boost the economy.
Senior Trump administration officials discussed shutting down travel from Italy and South Korea as the coronavirus outbreak worsened in those countries, but ultimately decided the virus is spreading too quickly to be contained, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.
NEW YORK (AP) — One of President Donald Trump’s first impulses in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus in China was to suggest it was a buying opportunity in the U.S. stock market.
NEW YORK — The White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that elderly and physically fragile Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new coronavirus, a federal official told The Associated Press.