Historic Sussex County courthouse adjusts to COVID-19

SUSSEX CO., Del.- In the midst of COVID-19, courthouses have made changes to ensure everyone stays safe. The Sussex County courthouse, more specifically has quite a bit of history to preserve, creating unique challenges during a pandemic.

“Sussex County in particular was a challenge because it’s the oldest of our three courthouses, it’s also the smallest,” says Sean O’Sullivan, Chief of Community Relations State of Delaware Administrative Office of the Courts.

As officials prepare to restart jury trials, they have been working closely with public health officials as well as an infectious disease expert to make it as safe as possible. O’Sullivan says, “We wanted to make sure that when we restarted, we have the jurors health primarily in mind.”

They start by taking peoples’ temperatures with a thermal camera and asking them extra health screening questions. There is also plenty of hand sanitizer bottles, as well as social distancing signs and reminders to wear masks.

“We’re balancing out the safety of people also with the need to maintain the historic integrity of this room,” says O’Sullivan. Officials say the small size of the courthouse prompted them to get creative by building plexiglass barriers, made specifically for the historic furniture.

The traditional process for jury selection is also different, with panels coming in waves; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Officials believe all these changes will ensure the justice system moves forward in the safest way possible.

“We continue to monitor the pandemic and if it appears that public health is once again at risk and having these proceedings here is a risk, we will pause,” says O’Sullivan.

Starting November 9, jury trials will begin with those who are not in custody. Then in December, jury trials will begin for those who are in custody.

We’re told another challenge they had to overcome at the Sussex County courthouse is adjusting to new technology such as Zoom. Since it’s an older courthouse they didn’t have the infrastructure necessary for many things so electronic devices will be brought in to show juries the evidence presented in the cases.