Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Reuben Green issued a series of orders after nine courthouse personnel tested positive for COVID-19.

The first order was entitled “Notice to the Bar and Public Regarding Safety at the Courthouse.”

This order stated that four Superior Court employees, two Juvenile Court personnel, one State Court employee, one Magistrate Court employee and one Probate Court employee had tested positive for COVID-19.

Judge Green wrote:

We do not have any information to suggest that any of these employees who tested positive were exposed at the courthouse. When an employee has symptoms or tests positive they are quarantined for fourteen days from the date of exposure and then they must have a negative test result prior to returning to work.

In addition, contact tracing has taken place to ensure those who had close contact with the positive employee have been informed of the possible exposure. These potentially exposed employees are then quarantined as above and instructed to not return to work until they have been tested and test negative.

All work areas of these employees have or are being deep cleaned by Property Management. This weekend the entire Superior Courthouse will be thoroughly disinfected again, as we have periodically done during this pandemic.

We also continue to require all staff, attorneys, and public to undergo a thermal temperature scan and wear a face mask to enter the Superior Court, Juvenile Court, State Court, Probate Court, and Magistrate Court. Masks are required to remain on while in any of the Cobb Courthouses unless given permission from your assigned judge when your case is being heard.

There are signs requiring social distancing throughout the courthouse and additional sanitizing stations have been added on every floor. All courtrooms have been marked off to indicate how many people can safely be in the courtroom and where people are to stand or sit in the courtroom to ensure compliance with public health guidelines. We have also limited the passing of paperwork and exhibits in the courtroom as an additional safety precaution.

Finally, given the increase in positive test results in Cobb County, the Cobb Superior Court and Probate Court will shift back to a general presumption that all cases should be handled virtually via videoconference.

If you believe your case needs to be handled in person, then you are to
contact the assigned judge’s chambers for that judge to decide whether it should be continued, heard virtually or heard in person.

Read all three orders by following the links below:

Notice to the Bar and Public Regarding Safety at the Courthouse

Alternatives When Handling Non-Essential Matters

Adjournment Order for May/June Grand Jury Panel