The Superior Court of Los Angeles County will lift its mandatory face mask order on April 4, officials announced Friday.
The court will continue strongly recommending the use of well-fitting medical masks or respirators inside all courthouses to align with the most recent L.A. County Department of Public Health health order, the Superior Court said in a news release.
“For two years, the Court has followed the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the LADPH, while balancing public health and safe access to justice in the nation’s largest trial court,” Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor said in a written statement. “Since the winter COVID-19 surge peaked in LA County in mid-January, LADPH indicates that ‘case and test positivity rates and hospitalizations have consistently declined.’ These benchmarks have guided the Court’s measured approach during the pandemic.”
A list of the 37 affected courthouses can be found here.
Superior Court first implemented a mandatory face mask policy on June 5, 2020.
The new release points out that the court delayed its face mask policy changes for at least two weeks after the public health department changed its policy, “in accordance with its measured approach … which has served the Court well.”
“I want to thank the public, jurors, court employees, judicial officers and justice partners for getting vaccinated, following public health guidance and helping the Court to prioritize safe access to justice since March 2020,” Judge Taylor said.
The judge said the Superior Court will continue to follow the guidance of local, state and federal public health experts while it remains vigilant in monitoring emerging virus threats.
“I would like to emphasize that we continue to implore all visitors to wear masks while in our courthouses,” Judge Taylor said. “We should all take the LADPH recommendations on mask-wearing seriously.”
Taylor said he strongly encourages litigants and attorneys to take advantage of the court’s remote courtroom appearance technology and service options.
“Call centers for Clerk’s Offices, Family Law, self-help and Traffic matters, and numerous online self service tools, have many benefits beyond convenience, including reducing childcare costs, gasoline consumption and pollution,” the news release states.
The court’s remote appearance technology, LACourtConnect, is available for appearances in Civil, Family Law, Small Claims, Probate, Unlawful Detainer and Traffic matters.