UPDATED DECEMBER 21, 2020

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio continues to monitor developments relating to the spread of COVID-19 and to make operational adjustments that seek to preserve public access to the Court while also protecting the health of Court staff and the constituencies that the Court serves.

Pursuant to General Order 20-38, the limitations on in-Court proceedings promulgated in General Order 20-36 have been extended through January 31, 2021.

Pursuant to General Order 20-36, the Court has further adjusted the Court’s Reconstitution Plan originally adopted in General Order 20-17 and amended in General Orders 20-20 and 20-25.

All civil and criminal jury trials scheduled between the date of this Order and December 31, 2020, are continued until a future date to be set by the assigned judge, except that, for criminal defendants in custody, a jury trial prior to December 31, 2020, may proceed, but only if the assigned judge deems that, in the interests of justice, it is absolutely necessary that the trial go forward. Naturalization ceremonies, whether scheduled to occur in the courthouse or at off-site locations, are suspended until further order of this Court. No Grand Jury proceedings shall be conducted for sixty days from the date of this General Order, except that the Grand Jury may meet once a month during the pendency of this General Order in any of the three locations of Court.  Other in-court proceedings scheduled between the date of this General Order and December 31, 2020, shall occur in person only upon a determination by the assigned judge that the interests of justice require that the proceedings be conducted in that manner.

In addition, the requirements set forth in General Order 20-26 relating to video teleconferencing for criminal proceedings remain in full force and effect.

Pursuant to General Order 20-17 adopting the Court’s Reconstitution Plan, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio reopened the Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse (Cincinnati), the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse (Columbus) and the Walter H. Rice Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Dayton) at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2020.

For all of the General Orders issued during the pandemic, please refer to the General Orders link below.

For all other matters of questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (614) 719-3000 (Columbus), (513) 564-7500 (Cincinnati), or (937) 512-1400 (Dayton).