Salt Lake City, UT—Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant has issued an updated Administrative Order. The new order expands the ability for judges to hold more hearings via remote video or telephone, including bench trials. The order offers further guidance to Utah judges. It addresses courthouse operations, requiring that each court across the state will perform the mission-critical work of the judiciary while also providing for the safety of court personnel and the public. The order also directs the creation of a judicial working group to establish a way to conduct safe and effective in-person court proceedings. The working group will consist of judges from all court levels, with rural and urban representation. Among consideration will be a proposed plan to hold jury trails while conforming to the latest state and federal COVID-19 safety guidelines. The Utah Judicial Council must approve any proposal before it is implemented. Click here to read the May 1, 2020 Administrative Order: https://www.utcourts.gov/alerts/docs/20200501%20-%20Pandemic%20Administrative%20Order.pdf # # #