DC Court of Appeals: Historic Courthouse Closed through 6/30, Remote Oral Arguments to begin 5/26
District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DCCA) Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby announced that the Court had issued an order extending the closure of the courthouse through June 30. The Order also provided that as of May 26, the court will conduct oral arguments remotely, via video conference. The arguments will be live-streamed on the Court of Appeals' YouTube channel.
"Remote oral arguments will ensure continued access to justice and fair and timely case resolution, while protecting the health and safety of the public, court employees and members of the bar by keeping the courthouse closed," said Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby. "I want to thank our staff for identifying excellent, secure technology to conduct oral arguments remotely and live stream them. I also want to thank members of the bar who are adjusting to 'the new normal' for appellate practice. This is a challenging time, but I have been heartened by how quickly the DC Courts community and our bar has adapted so that we are able to continue to hear cases, serve the interests of justice and provide for public access and transparency."
The week of May 26-29, the Court will begin hearing oral arguments via video conference, doing so on a limited basis. Throughout the month of June, all oral arguments will be heard via remote video conference.The Court will email participants a link to access the videoconference. Oral arguments will be live streamed so that the public can observe them; to watch, go to the DCCA YouTube channel.
The Court's May 21 order is here. It provides greater detail on DCCA operations for the month of June, as well as email addresses for those with questions.
The Historic Courthouse, which houses the DCCA, will remain closed throughout the month of June.
DCCA calendars are posted here: https://www.dccourts.gov/court-of-appeals/court-of-appeals-calendar. (The May DCCA calendar is here).