Activation of Continuity of Operations Plan

Chief Judge Philip S. Gutierrez announces the United States District Court for the Central District of California has activated its Continuity of Operations (“COOP”) Plan, effective December 9, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. through and including January 8, 2021. 

The activation of the COOP Plan is necessary to ensure the continuous performance of essential functions and operations of the Court in light of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic and the recent unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and test positivity rates in the Central District.

Actions that will be taken pursuant to the COOP Plan include the following:

• All Courthouses of the Central District of California will be closed to the public except for hearings on criminal duty matters, as discussed below.
• No in-person hearings will go forward except for hearings on criminal duty matters, as discussed below.
• In civil cases, all appearances will be by telephone or video conference.
• Criminal bench duty will continue to take place in each division by telephone or video conference with the defendant’s consent and in court absent consent.  All criminal document duty will be handled by each division in the normal course of business.  In other criminal matters, all appearances will be by telephone or video conference.
• For members of the press or public who wish to listen in on a hearing, refer to the assigned judge’s procedures and schedules web page or calendar for login-in or call-in information. If login-in or call-in information is not available, submit a Hearing Access Request Form at least four hours prior to the hearing.  
• Jury trials remain suspended.
• All regularly scheduled grand jury proceedings are suspended and grand jurors will not otherwise be required to report for service or to call in to the United States Attorney’s Office for reporting purposes during the period for which grand jury proceedings are suspended.
• The Bankruptcy Court will issue separate guidance.

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KIRY K. GRAY
DISTRICT COURT EXECUTIVE / CLERK OF COURT