What's it like going to the Courthouse during the Pandemic

After my visit to the DMV on Friday, I paid the Superior Courthouse a visit on Monday. As you may know, I was surprisingly surprised at how well and safe my DMV visit was during this Covid 19 pandemic. With that said, it was now time to visit the Superior Courthouse.

My first arrival at the Superior Courthouse during Covid 19

When I arrived, I noticed some people standing in a line outside. There were two big glass doors that lead to the main courthouse building, but after telling the security guard what I was there for, she told me that I would have to go in that outside line.This line lead to a window that was connected to the main building, but people could talk to the courthouse clerks from the exterior of the building. The window had a sign that said payments and tickets.

I got in line and noticed everybody had the required mask on. There was six foot stickers on the floor too and everybody obliged. There was no safety issues or concerns. I waited in line for about a half hour and reached the window. I told them that I have an old ticket that I need to take care of, and the lady ended up giving me a court date for the very next day!

Getting a court date the very next day was unheard to me. I thought that I would have to wait a month or so. I now had a court date for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. I walked away with my new court date and headed home. Although my brief experience with the courthouse was brief and on the outside of the building, so far there was no safety issues. Tomorrow would be the real safety test.

Was it safe at the courthouse during my court date?

Wednesday came, and I was there at 1:15 p.m. I was sure not to bring my wife as the clerk had warned me the day before about not bringing anybody with you to your court date. The court house didn't want anybody to enter the building except for the individual that actually had business there. It seemed as if they wanted to keep as little people in the building as possible, and this was certainly a good thing.

After getting through the security check, I went downstairs as instructed, went down a hallway and found the court room I was to go in. I walked into the courtroom, and there was about 30 other people in there. When I walked in, everybody turned and stared at me, and that was kind of weird. I looked around where to sit, and low and behold the first seat when you walk in was available so I sat down.

A second later, a lady calls me and tells me to sit at the plaintiffs chair. This is of course up toward the front of the courtroom. At first I wonder why, but then I notice what is going on. They're making sitting arrangements and making sure that everybody is six feet apart. Okay, this all seems great, and I was glad they were doing this. Also, everybody had there mask on as nobody would have even been able to enter the building without it.

I felt very safe sitting in the court room while waiting for everything to start. After about 15 minutes, the judge came in, and I was the first one he called. I pleaded guilty to the fix it ticket charges, and he dropped my failure to appear charge and fined me $25 each for not having proof of insurance, not having registration and for the DMV change of address charge. In total my ticket was $75. This is the original amount that all of this would have cost me from the beginning so I was very happy with the outcome.

So is it safe to go to the courthouse during this Corona Virus Pandemic?

Again, just like the DMV on Monday, I was very satisfied with the safety measures that the courthouse implemented. I really have no issues to complain about. The courthouse has done everything that they can do to keep everybody as safe as possible.

All of this had me thinking that maybe I should have taken care of all of this when the pandemic first hit, but that is idiotic thinking because I'm sure that when Covid 19 first came all of these agencies were not taking these precautions. It was probably the safer thing to wait like I have. It gave these government agencies time to draw up a safety plan, and I'll say it for the last time that the courthouse and the DMV both have done a great job.