CA: California Courts Temporarily Change Rules To Ease Stress On System

[wbhm.org – 4/7/20] California’s court system, the nation’s largest, announced a series of emergency measures this week to address vulnerabilities related to the coronavirus pandemic. The 11 emergency measures include temporarily eliminating bail for defendants charged with misdemeanors and most nonviolent felonies, conducting pretrial hearings remotely, and placing new limits on evictions and foreclosures. The California Judicial Council adopted the changes Monday. It’s the policy making arm of the state’s courts. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye says the moves aim to reduce jail populations and protect Californians from losing their homes…

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FL: Broward jail inmate with coronavirus dies at hospital

[sun-sentinel.co – 4/8/20] A convicted sex offender became the first Broward County inmate to die from the new coronavirus, underscoring concern over how the pandemic will pose problems for detention facilities across South Florida. Alan Pollock, 64, died at Northwest Medical Center in Margate on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Broward Public Defender’s Office, which represented him. Broward County’s jails have had at least five inmates test positive for the coronavirus, which has been spreading in detention centers across the U.S. Nationwide, the disease has infected hundreds of detainees as…

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