In the continued interest of the health and safety of the community and court personnel, we remain committed to balancing access to justice with the ongoing public health crisis that COVID-19 presents. The scope of court operations shall be predicated upon minimum public health criteria established by Mecklenburg County Public Health. Mecklenburg County Public Health has developed community public health indicators based on the case rate per 100,000 persons and percent positivity rate, which provide a general framework for decision-making and recommendations related to superior and district court.

According to the latest COVID-19 data from Mecklenburg County Public Health, the positivity rate is 5.5 percent, with an average of 152 new laboratory confirmed infections per day. These data metrics indicate moderate-substantial community spread in Mecklenburg County.

In accordance with the Administrative Order regarding district and superior court operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th Judicial District will continue to operate in the red from December 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, with the following changes:

Beginning on December 1, 2021, trials in business court will be held in courtroom 6370. Civil trials in superior court will continue to be held in courtroom 6130 and criminal trials in superior court will continue to be held in courtroom 5370.

Jurors summoned to appear should follow their reporting time and instructions listed on their jury summons. All grand jury proceedings will continue as scheduled.

Two trial courtrooms will be open for in-person criminal arraignments and trials in district court. A limited number of cases will be scheduled in four ninety-minute blocks each day. Intimate partner violence, DWI and other misdemeanors are designated as a high priority and will be scheduled in the courtrooms.

The key court officials will reevaluate current operations and issue an updated court schedule on a monthly basis, taking into account local COVID-19 data, public health guidance, and workforce availability. Please see the attached reference chart for full details regarding changes to court operations that will take effect on December 1, 2021.