Alaska courts continues proceedings, with 174,952 hearings held since March

WASILLA — Alaska Courts have remained open throughout the pandemic.

Courthouses across the state held 174,952 hearings since March, according to a recent press release from the Alaska Court System which made the following statement,”Since the start of the pandemic, courts in Alaska have been open every business day, performing essential judicial branch functions. Dedicated court staff and judges have kept the doors open to the public and held hearings and bench trials almost continuously after a brief pause at the beginning of the pandemic for some proceedings.”

A majority of Alaskan jury trials have been suspended, but all other case types are moving forward. The court system made the following statement on the matter, “Jury trials are certainly important, but it is important to understand that the vast majority of cases are resolved without a jury trial.”

Alaskan judges are currently presiding over a variety of cases, including divorce, custody, Child in Need of Aid, juvenile delinquency, protective orders, mental health commitments, guardianships, estates, small claims, minor offenses and all types of civil lawsuits.

Any criminal hearings criminal that can be conducted remotely is being conducted in that matter to accommodate social distancing measures. That includes arraignments, bail hearings, change of plea hearings, sentencings, and bench trials decided by a judge without a jury.

From the 174,952 hearings held since March, 65,661 hearings were in Anchorage alone, including 44,528 criminal cases and 19,420 civil cases as well as small claims and minor offense matters.

During this time period judges across the state have issued 63,054 rulings on motions and orders, and disposed of 19,549 petitions. According toCourts across the network are utilizing technology to ensure that Alaskans have remote access to justice.

Judges are holding hearings by phone and video conference. The court has also moved more services online including the ability to file new cases and motions by email, make bail payments online, and pay filing fees online.

Alaskan courts have used Zoom to hold presumptive death trials, grand jury proceedings, and jury selection in a juvenile delinquency trial with participants on video. Appellate courts are hearing oral arguments for appeals in criminal and civil cases via Zoom and live-streamed for public access on KTOO’s Gavel Alaska and on the court’s YouTube Channel.

The Alaska Court System website has a COVID-19 response section that is with regular updates as operations change as the pandemic continues to evolve.

The section includes courthouse safety precautions, a FAQ page that discusses changes stemming from the pandemic, and special orders from the chief justice and presiding judge.

The court system encourages the public to continue to access the courts during the COVID-19 pandemic remotely. Those planning to visit their local courthouse are encouraged to call ahead of time. Those with symptoms, risk of exposure or who recently travelled are asked to stay home.

For more information, visit courts.alaska.gov.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com