Last Updated on April 3, 2020 3:55 pm
Boone, NC – On April 2, 2020, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley issued an order containing the following emergency directives which postpones court proceedings until June 1, 2020.
In a press release issued today from the NC Judicial Branch, it outlined the directives in the order. The order:
● Postpones court proceedings for a second time to June 1, 2020 or later
● Continues to direct clerks of court to post notices at court facilities discouraging entry by those infected with COVID-19
● Authorizes court proceedings to be conducted by remote audio and video transmissions
● Directs attorneys and others without business before the court to avoid court facilities
● Allows use of a sworn statement under penalty of perjury rather than notarization for court filings and oaths
● Allows service of court documents by email
● Extends the deadline for payment of most fines and fees by 90 days and directs clerks not to report failures to pay court debt to the DMV.
“This postponement applies to court in Watauga County and staff are working diligently to postpone current cases. If you have a current case, you will be notified of a new postponed court date. We encourage the public to visit NCcourts.gov for additional information or call the Watauga County Clerk’s Office at (828) 268-6600,” stated Deron Geouque, County Manager.
There are several services that can be handled online at www.nccourts.gov/services and those include citation services, paying tickets, court payments, signing up for court date notifications and reminders, eFiling court documents for certain courts and case types and more.
“We are encouraging people to stay home and comply with Governor Cooper’s Executive Order, especially if you are sick or at high risk of severe illness with COVID-19,” Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.
People who are at high risk for COVID-19 should stay home to the greatest extent possible to decrease the chance of infection.
Who is at High Risk for COVID-19?
People at high risk include anyone who:
● Is 65 years of age or older
● Lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility
● Have a high-risk condition that includes:
· Chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
· Heart disease with complications
· Compromised immune system
· Severe obesity – body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
· Other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease
For more information, visit www.WataugaCounty.org or call (828) 265-8000.
AppHealthCare is available and on-call 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. To reach us, call (828) 264-4995 anytime and follow the prompts. For more information, visit www.AppHealthCare.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
For more information on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), please visit the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. North Carolina resources can be found on the Division of Public Health website at ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus.
A COVID-19 toll free helpline has been set up to answer general, non-emergent questions at 1-866-462-3821. To submit questions online, go to www.ncpoisoncontrol.org and select “chat.”
