Virtual Court Hearings Earn Permanent Spot After Pandemic’s End

The virtual court proceedings that reshaped the judiciary during Covid-19 will outlive the pandemic, as state courts across the country rewrite their rules to incorporate the lessons learned from the crisis.

Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas have all integrated remote operations into their state courts’ permanent playbooks. Some states have made civil non-evidentiary hearings largely remote, and others have extended that to procedural criminal hearings as well.

The shift has the prospect of making courts more accessible for those who might have been shut out ...