The COVID-19 pandemic has closed most courts in Arkansas for the past couple of months, but judges are still holding emergency hearings for domestic cases.
Attorney Kristin Pawlik had a four-hour hearing in Washington County Circuit Court on May 29 that showed how complicated law is in the age of social distancing.
The hearing had Judge Joanna Taylor, three lawyers, a court reporter, three witnesses and plenty of documents, and it was all done remotely from the other participants.
“It was challenging,” Pawlik said.
When the judge needed a sidebar conversation with the attorneys, a separate Zoom room had to be created. Documents presented to witnesses were transmitted beforehand because sharing the documents on the screen was a headache.
When Pawlik had court dates before the pandemic, she always reminded her clients to dress appropriately and not in shorts and flip-flops. Zoom court dates are a whole new chapter of dressing etiquette.
“We do have to remind our witness to wear pants,” Pawlik said. “We have never had to do that before.”
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