About Coronavirus 2020
Washingtonian is keeping you up to date on the coronavirus around DC.
Even as the DC government closes public schools and pares back other functions, the DC court system is still up and running as of Friday morning. Asked if jury service is still mandatory—even for the elderly and others who may be more vulnerable to coronavirus—DC Courts spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz shared this message with Washingtonian: “People summoned for jury duty who are unable to serve on the summons date can use the eJuror system on the DC Courts’ website or contact the Jurors Office at 202-879-4604 to request a deferral.”
This is a departure from the usual deferral policy, which instructs people to immediately request the deferral upon receiving their summons, and allows jurors to change the start-date of their service only one time.
The DC courts have also posted a coronavirus advisory, which states that extra hand sanitizer has been placed around the court buildings, public areas are being disinfected more frequently, and telework options for eligible employees have been expanded. It continues: “The DC Courts are continuously reassessing how best to address the evolving situation. We will post additional information on our website’s homepage, facebook page and the DC Courts’ twitter feed. The DC Courts are committed to seeing that we meet our mission of providing justice to all during this challenging time.”
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
