POUGHKEEPSIE – The Nor’Easter that is bringing accumulations of heavy, wet snow, high winds, and widespread power outages has not caused the State Courts in the Ninth Judicial District to transition to virtual appearances. Administrative Judge Anne Minihan, who oversees the courts in the Ninth Judicial District, which includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties, has opted to keep the courts open, forcing judges, staff, lawyers, and litigants to disobey the various “State of Emergency” declarations in the region, including those that limit travel to emergency and essential vehicles.
Courts in Columbia, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties are in the Third Judicial District which has switched to virtual appearances for the day.
In Poughkeepsie, where the Dutchess County Supreme, Surrogate, County, and Family Courts are located, city and county employees are working to remove snow from streets around the courthouses, and the county parking lot of the Dutchess County Office Building, which closed as part of the orders issued by County Executive William O’Neil.
“During the pandemic, I had virtual court appearances in my fight to get child support from my ex-husband,” said Tina “Doe” who asked to keep her last name from publication. “They had the ability to do virtual appearances then but they are making people drive on unplowed roads to get here during a major storm….it’s a very poor decision.”
Poughkeepsie attorney Kelley Enderley also denounced the decision to keep the courts open for “in-person” appearances. “Today’s failure to make courts virtual is a dangerous, negligent mistake. Lawyers and litigants are being forced to travel unsafe roads, putting both their lives and vehicles at risk,” Enderley said. “With the incorporation of virtual appearances, there is no need for anyone to be out on the roads when a state of emergency has been declared.”
