UPDATE: Court Notices and Closures re: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Last Updated: April 29, 2020

 

To Our Friends and Business Partners:

• Per the Governor’s April 1, 2020 Order, the execution of all eviction orders is suspended through April 30, 2020. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on April 23, 2020 that he will extend Illinois’ stay-home order for another 30 days to May 30^th.The Illinois Supreme Court announced today an emergency order (M.R.30370) which limits freezes on personal bank accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This order temporarily relieves debtors of the burden of asset freezes, up to the $4,000 exemption provided by law, at a time when they have limited recourse to the courts. The order remains in effect until the suspension of service of summonses and citations in supplemental proceedings, pursuant to Executive Order 2020-25, is no longer in effect.

 

Illinois

Per the Governor’s April 1, 2020 Order, the execution of all eviction orders is suspended through April 30, 2020. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on April 23, 2020 that he will extend Illinois’ stay-home order for another 30 days to May 30^th.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today an emergency order (M.R.30370) which limits freezes on personal bank accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This order temporarily relieves debtors of the burden of asset freezes, up to the $4,000 exemption provided by law, at a time when they have limited recourse to the courts. The order remains in effect until the suspension of service of summonses and citations in supplemental proceedings, pursuant to Executive Order 2020-25, is no longer in effect.

• Cook County (Chicago):  All civil matters scheduled through May 15, 2020 will be automatically continued for 30 days (unless the 30^th day falls on a weekend, in which case it is continued to the following business day).  There is a moratorium on final judgments and executions of judgments in mortgage foreclosures.  The Sheriff will suspend enforcement of all eviction orders through May 15, 2020.  Eviction Orders expiring prior to May 18, 2020 are automatically extended 60 days from the original expiration date.

• DuPage County:  Per Administrative Order 20-17 foreclosure and eviction matters through May 18, 2020 will be rescheduled 30-60 days from the currently scheduled date by the Clerk of the Court and can be viewed at eaccess.18thjudicial.org.

• Kane County: Per General Order 20-17 and 20-18, all trials set on August 3, 2020, and every day thereafter, remain set for trial. All trials set between April 22, 2020 and July 31, 2020, are continued. The Circuit Clerk will reschedule all cases set for trial during this period for status and re-setting of trial. Evictions and Foreclosures are suspended until June 1, 2020.

• Kendall County: Per Administrative Order 20-09, the court will allow remote hearings by telephone or via the Zoom platform in the discretion of the assigned judge and where both litigants are represented by an attorney.

• Lake County:  Per Administrative Order 2020-23 all matters in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit scheduled prior to May 18, 2020 are continued and rescheduled to a date after May 15, 2020. All foreclosure sales and the execution of eviction orders relating to residential real estate are suspended until further order of the court.

• Macoupin County: Per Local Administrative Order 2020-AO-004 all evictions and foreclosures are postponed. Hearings will resume after the Order expires on May 1, 2020.

• Madison County:  Per Administrative Order 2020-M-11, all matters scheduled through May 22, 2020 are automatically continued.

• McHenry County:  Per Administrative order 2020-09, all matters set for trial through May 29, 2020 are continued to a date set by the assigned judge. The Circuit Clerk will be mailing rescheduling notices for all cases scheduled during the month of May.

• Ogle County: Per Administrative Order 2020-13, court closure is extended through May 30, 2020.

• Rock Island County: Per Civil Administrative Order 20CA-40, the court will allow remote hearings by telephone or via the Zoom platform in the discretion of the assigned judge and where both litigants are represented by an attorney.

• Sangamon County: Per County Administrative Order 2020-8, the prior suspension of all jury trials and civil matters are continued to May 22, 2020.

• Whiteside County: Per County Administrative Order 2020-7 (Resumption of In-Person Court Proceedings), all civil case management conferences will resume on August 3, 2020. Cases which were set for May 4, 2020 are rescheduled to August 3, 2020; for May 6, are rescheduled to August 5, 2020, etc. Clients are not to attend case management conferences. New cases will receive case management conference dates beginning in November 2020. All civil hearings scheduled on July 20, 2020, or thereafter will occur as scheduled. All civil hearings which were to have occurred during the in-person court proceedings shutdown, which have not, or will not, occur by telephonic or videoconferencing hearings will be rescheduled by the parties. If not rescheduled by July 1, 2020, those hearings will be converted to case management conferences and will be heard on July 20, 2020.

• Will County: Per Administrative Order 2020-16 all civil matters are continued until May 15, 2020, except status hearings scheduled on the mortgage foreclosure call which are continued to a future status date. The parties will be notified of the new date by the Clerk’s office via e-mail or U.S. mail.

• Winnebago County: Per Administrative Order 2020-18 all court dates currently set between April 20, 2020, and May 15, 2020 are canceled and continued to a date after June 1, 2020. This includes all dates currently scheduled for status, first return, argument, hearing, decision, bench trial or jury trial.

• First Judicial Circuit (Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, and Williamson Counties): Per Administrative Order 2020-4-27 (Extension Order) the prior suspension of all jury trials and civil matters with a scheduled court date are continued to May 1, 2020. The rescheduling of case will begin on June 1, 2020.

• Second Judicial Circuit (Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White Counties): Per Administrative Order 2020-10 all matters set for trial are continued until further order of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

• Fourth Judicial Circuit (Christian, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery, and Shelby Counties): Per Fourth Amended Administrative Order No. 2020-04, effective until at least May 15, 2020, all jury trials are continued to a different date to be determined by the court. All evictions will cease until the expiration of the Order. Notice of new dates will be provided by the Clerk.

• Fifth Judicial Circuit (Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar, and Vermilion Counties): Per Administrative Order 2020-10 all matters set for jury trial are continued until further order.

• Ninth Judicial Circuit (Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren Counties): Per Administrative Order 20-17 all matters set for trial are continued until further order of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

• Tenth Judicial Circuit (Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties):  Per Administrative Order 2020-10, all trials set through May 31, 2020, are continued for a new trial date to be agreed by the parties.

• Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean and Woodford Counties): Per Administrative Order 2020-06 (3rd Supplemental Order), effective May 1, 2020, all trials and other civil matters set are continued until after May 31, 2020 with notice to follow. The court will allow remote hearings by telephone for emergency matters.

• Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Grundy and LaSalle Counties): Per email from the clerks’ offices, all LaSalle and Grundy mediations scheduled for May are continued to June. All mediations scheduled for LaSalle County for April 3, 2020 and May 1, 2020 are continued to June 5, 2020.  New dates for the Grundy County mediations will be provided soon.

• Fourteenth Judicial Circuit (Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside Counties): Per Administrative Order 20CA-39 all matters set for trial are continued until further order of the Supreme Court of Illinois, unless conducted via video conferencing at the discretion of the assigned judge.

• Fifteenth Judicial Circuit (Carroll, Jo Davies, Lee, Ogle and Stephenson Counties): Per Administrative Order 2020-12, court closure is extended through May 30, 2020.

• Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit (DeKalb and Kendall Counties): Per General Order 20-12, the Emergency Preparedness Plans for the Courts in Kendal and DeKalb Counties is extended from May 1, 2020 through June 2, 2020. All trials set between April 24, 2020 and July 10, 2020, are continued for status and a new trial date. Notice to be provided by the Clerk.

• City of Chicago Administrative Hearings:  All currently scheduled hearings are cancelled, except urgent matters.  Continuance orders with new dates will be mailed to Respondents.  Respondents previously found to be in default will be allowed to file a Motion to Set Aside Default via email.

• Northern District of Illinois:  All civil case hearings, bench trials, and settlement conferences scheduled through May 29, 2020 are stricken, to be re-set by the presiding judge to a date on or after May 29, 2020.  However, any party may request a telephonic motion or settlement conference be conducted prior to May 29, 2020. Additionally, all deadlines, whether set by the court or by the Rules of Civil Procedure or Local Rules, are extended by an additional 28 days from April 24, 2020.  However, deadlines regarding appeals remain unchanged.

• Central District of Illinois:  All civil hearings, including settlement conferences, through May 18, 2020 shall be conducted by video conferencing or telephone. 

• Southern District of Illinois:  All civil matters scheduled through May 3, 2020 are continued pending further order of court.  All deadlines, whether set by the court or by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or Local Rules, are extended by 30 days.

Indiana

• Lake County:  Courts have re-scheduled most civil matters to a date after May 4, 2020.  Any hearings that remain scheduled for a date prior to May 4, 2020 will be conducted by video conferencing or telephone.
• St. Joseph County (South Bend):  Courts have re-scheduled most civil matters to a date after May 4, 2020.  Any hearings that remain scheduled for a date prior to May 4, 2020 will be conducted by video conferencing or telephone.
• Marion County (Indianapolis):  Courts have re-scheduled most civil matters to a date after May 4, 2020.  Any hearings that remain scheduled for a date prior to May 4, 2020 will be conducted by video conferencing or telephone.
• Northern District of Indiana:  Civil matters are not suspended.  All civil matters scheduled through May 1, 2020 will be conducted by video conferencing or telephone.
• Southern District of Indiana:  Civil matters are not suspended.  All civil matters scheduled through May 1, 2020 may be conducted by video conferencing or telephone, at the discretion of the Judge.

Iowa

• Polk County (Des Moines):   Foreclosure proceedings are stayed.  The Clerk is instructed to reject all new foreclosure petitions until further order of Court..
• Northern District of Iowa:  Civil matters are not suspended.  Parties are encouraged to participate via video conferencing or telephone when permitted by law.
• Southern District of Iowa:   Civil matters are not suspended, but may be continued at the discretion of the Judge.

Wisconsin

Per the Governor’s March 27, 2020 Order, effective through May 26, 2020:  All eviction actions are prohibited, including serving a pre-filing notice to terminate a tenancy and commencing an action, except in emergency situations.  Mortgagees are prohibited from commencing foreclosures or scheduling sheriff’s sales.  However, nothing in the Governor’s Order should be construed as relieving an individual or their obligations to pay rent or make mortgage payments.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued two Administrative Orders on March 22, 2020 which postponed all civil and criminal trials through May 22, 2020, and stated that, subject to certain exceptions, all court proceedings are to be conducted via remote audio-video technology if practicable.

• Milwaukee County:  All matters requiring in person appearances are suspended through May 15, 2020.  The Clerk will re-schedule all matters and notify all parties.  All non-evidentiary hearings that can be done by audio-video technology will proceed as scheduled.
• Dane County (Madison):  Per the Order entered April 2, 2020, the Court’s Emergency Temporary Measures Order was extended until April 30, 2020.  Civil matters are not suspended.  Any hearing that can be done by phone will proceed as scheduled.
• Western District of Wisconsin:  Civil matters are not suspended.  Motions that the court can resolve without oral argument will proceed.
• Eastern District of Wisconsin:  Civil matters are not suspended.  All civil matters scheduled through May 1, 2020 will be conducted by video conferencing or telephone.