Courthouse weddings put on hold in Mecklenburg as officials try to slow coronavirus
Add another victim of the coronavirus — love.
For the next 30 days at least, Mecklenburg County has suspended all courthouse weddings, both at the county courthouse and at the magistrate’s office at 801 E. 4th St.
According to a 2014 Observer article, some 20 couples come to the courthouse on a typical day to tie the knot. Valentine’s Day traditionally draws a bigger matrimonial turnout.
To be sure, private weddings are unaffected by the courthouse order. But officials have asked people to cancel any gathering of 100 or more people across North Carolina.
The temporary suspension of nuptials is on the list of extraordinary steps taken Friday by court officials across North Carolina to limit the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The disease, which has killed thousands worldwide, has surfaced in the Carolinas. Gov. Roy Cooper and President Donald Trump have announced state and national emergencies.
Starting Monday, courts throughout North Carolina will operate on a reduced schedule. Most trials will be delayed for 30 days unless a jury already has been picked.
In Mecklenburg, the state’s busiest local judicial district, hearings and other court procedures will occur in the mornings only with a limited staff and curtailed attendance — if they occur at all.
District Attorney Spencer Merriweather says many of his staff will begin working from home. That, plus the reduction in criminal cases, “will significantly reduce the number of defendants, victims, attorneys and staff entering the courthouse during the coming weeks,” Merriweather says.
Not to mention brides and grooms.
“The administration of justice and due process are what keep us from operating in a fog of chaos,” Merriweather said in a statement released late Friday afternoon.
“... My office and I are committed to not only doing everything we can to protect the public from this pandemic but also keep the work of justice moving through our courts.”
Court changes amid COVID-19 in North Carolina
While the courthouse will keep its regular, weekday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours , it will operate on limited staff. Officials also have issued a “stay away” request to certain segments of the public, including those who have:
▪ Traveled to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran in the past 14 days.
▪ Been advised to quarantine, isolate or self-monitor for symptoms of the disease.
▪ Been diagnosed with the virus or lives with someone who has or lives with someone who fits any of the other criteria on travel or symptoms.
The advisory includes jurors.
In another criminal justice move announced Friday, N.C. prisons will suspend visitations for at least the next 30 days.
The federal courthouses in Charlotte, Asheville and Statesville will also remain open, but judges will stagger their court hearings as much as possible to limit the number of people involved, according to a statement Friday by Presiding U.S. District Judge Frank Whitney of Charlotte.
Skype also is to be used for some preliminary hearings. Federal courthouse employees will work at home or stagger shifts to keep down the numbers at the three courthouses in the Western District of North Carolina, Whitney says.
Whitney’s order also mandates that any ill defendant will be “immediately” removed from the building and taken back to their detention facility for medical treatment.
Criminal cases in federal court will continue.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 8:43 AM.
