Staff shortages close Santa Clara County court

Santa Clara County Superior Court will limit public access to courthouses through the end of the month due to the sharp rise of COVID-19 cases, the court announced Wednesday.

Trials and hearings will continue, but no one will be allowed inside courthouses except for parties, attorneys, jurors and witnesses. The court is temporarily closing public counters as well.

Anyone who needs to file a court document in person may enter only to place the pleading in the drop box and leave.

Santa Clara County Presiding Judge Theodore C. Zayner wrote in a statement, "Our court is experiencing a significant number of employee absences, creating staffing shortages across all departments."

Federal and state courts across California have suspended jury trials for at least two weeks because of the rapid rise of new coronavirus cases due to the Omicron variant.

The Northern District of California on Wednesday suspended all jury trials until Thursday, Jan. 27 at the earliest. The Central District of California has suspended jury trials through Jan. 24.

New trials have been suspended in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties. Santa Barbara County Presiding Judge Gustavo E. Lavayen extended the deadline for jury trials to Jan. 26.

Zayner expressed optimism that the limitations on court operations will not last too long, and wrote the courthouses themselves are safe and sanitary.

"We are hopeful that these circumstances are transitory and will frequently reexamine conditions as we continue to serve the public through the pandemic and the current Omicron variant surge," he added.