Chief Judge Michael J. Distel, acting pursuant Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 2020-14 , effective May 6, 2020 with approval of the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), has issued Local Administrative Order 2021 – 03 effective February 22, 2021 moving the Court forward to (Phase Three Court Reopening Plan) which includes:

State and local orders restricting movement and/or requiring shelter in- place have been rescinded or limited and the State Court Administrative Office has determined existing orders would not prevent the Court from implementing Phase Three requirements and in order to facilitate the essential business of the court, the court is enacting the following measures related to court proceedings.

1. Proceedings will be conducted virtually to the maximum extent possible, consistent with Administrative Order No. 2020-6.
2. In-person court proceedings will be allowed on a limited basis. Six-foot social distancing will still be required. Judges, staff and the public will be required to wear masks.
3. Large venues and common areas in the courthouse (e.g. waiting areas, sit-down dining, etc.) will be open for use using limited six-foot physical distancing.
4. The court’s decision to require the public to wear masks will take into account any recommendations from the health department and centers for Disease Control.
5. Pursuant to MCR 8.110(c), members of the public or staff that refuse or adhere to social distancing requirements or other mitigation procedures may be asked to leave the court facility.
6. Any member of the public who is asked to leave the court facility must be offered an opportunity to conduct court business virtually, attend court proceedings virtually, file documents in an alternative manner, or confer with court administration to determine alternate arrangements for accessing the court.

The 61st District Court is regularly monitoring local public health conditions and data related to COVID-19 to assess their readiness at: https://www.accesskent.com/Health/covid-19-data.htm to proceed to Phase Four of court capacity