AUSTIN (KXAN) — The criminal justice system is a hands-on place.
“We’re leaning over the bench to talk to the judge. We’re in the faces of court reporters and clerks. We’re talking and whispering with our clients,” Attorney and Retired District Court Judge Charlie Baird said.
He’s spent nearly 40 years in and out of area courts, but he’s never seen anything impact the system like COVID-19.
“There has been nothing comparable to this under any circumstances that I can recall,” Baird said.
Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said they are doing everything they can do keep the wheels of justice turning, while keeping everyone safe.
“The folks who have to make the court system work are now focused entirely on jail cases,” said Moore.
She said bond-setting procedures and plea hearings are the primary concerns, as jury trials have been postponed for weeks.
“The IT people have been working with the sheriff to get rooms set up in the jail, Moore said. “So that inmates can be brought into a room and then enter their plea — where nobody goes to courtroom, which is pretty amazing and very useful.”
Last week, they conducted the first virtual plea hearing through the app Zoom. The proceeding was then live-streamed on YouTube to preserve the right of the public to view the process.
She said this week district court proceedings should be up and running for at least five district courts.
Personal bond orders
Concerns about COVID-19 spreading quickly in Texas jails are becoming a reality, with the first confirmed case in a Harris County jail and around 30 more inmates there showing symptoms.
Travis County officials have been working to reduce the jail population by granting the automatic release of some non-violent felons with personal bonds.
Tonight at 10 p.m., KXAN News will have more on how an executive order by Governor Abbott could impact inmates in Travis County.
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