Court systems staying transparent
Judge Matthew Wright ordered all in-person dockets reset until after April 25th, unless deemed essential by the Supreme Court on March 12. This order is still in effect, but a number of other orders from the Judge and the Texas Supreme Court have come into effect.
Courts are being required to purchase video-conferencing technology in order to maintain social distancing while not allowing business to stop, per Texas Supreme Court Order One.
According to Judge Matthew Wright, Presiding Judge for both the Rosebud Court of Record and the Lott Municipal Court, unlike courts in surrounding cities that are currently learning how to use video technology for hearings, both local courts have had video communication capacity since 2014.
“In other words, Lott and Rosebud led the state in technology for video hearings,” he stated in a letter to the community.
On March 17, the honorable judge issued an order creating a COVID- I 9 variance that reduces fines and special expenses fees by 50% of the stated amount.
Defendants who want to enter a plea deal and pay the citation can have their fees cut in half.
“This does not reduce the entire ticket by half, just the fine amount,” said Melissa Wilmoth, Rosebud Municipal Court Clerk.
Defendants seeking a deferral will still be required to go before the Judge and prosecutor, but will be eligible for reduced special expanse fees.
The court costs will not be affected, nor will the original ticket price.
Details of eligibility requirements and how the variance changes would pertain to a specific situation can be found by calling the court in which the case is filed. Rosebud Court of Record can be reached at (254) 583-7714 and the Lott Municipal Court can be reached at (254)584-2681.
The Texas supreme court has also issued a number of orders pertaining to courts and how ongoing legal matters are being handled during this time.
Child Custody Related to School Closures - Texas Supreme Court Order Two clarifies that child possession schedules establishing access to a child under a court-ordered possession schedule are not affected by the school's closure that arises from an epidemic or pandemic and that the original published school schedule controls.
Evictions - Texas Supreme Court Order Four prohibits a trial, hearing, or other proceeding in an eviction to recover possession of residential property under Chapter 24 of the Property Code and Rule 510 of the Texas rules of Civil Procedure until after April 19, 2020.
Child Custody - Texas Supreme Court Order Seven states that for purposes of determining a person's right to possession of and access to a child under a court-ordered possession schedule, the existing trial court order shall control in all instances. Possession of and access to a small child shall not be affected by any shelter-in-place order or other order restricting movement issued by a government entity.
The court systems have a limited supply of coloring and activity books on safety for people homeschooling their children during this time. Materials can be requested by emailing Judge Wright at matthew@diazright.com. Supplies are limited and will be mailed out as long as safety permits.
Judge Wright and Associate Judge Sharon Diaz encourage citizens to continue to follow the CDC's recommendations regarding l) Covering your cough or sneeze, 2) avoiding contact with people who are sick, 3) avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; 4) cleaning and disinfecting touched objects and surfaces; 5)washing hands with soap for 20 seconds; and 6) staying home.
For more information on the Texas Supreme Court orders, head to www.txcourts.gov or go to www.diazwright.com/covid-19.