Clarification on Courthouse Article

HOUSTON COUNTY – An article entitled “Ho. Co. Court Venues Moved to Civic Center,” published in the Thursday, Oct. 29 edition of The Messenger has apparently caused some confusion and for that we apologize.

Pre-trial hearings, motions and other court related matters will still occur at the Houston County Courthouse for both District Court and the County Court-at-Law. Many, if not most, of these legal proceedings will be conducted remotely using Zoom or some other type of virtual technology. 

During a meeting of the Houston County Commissioners Court held on Tuesday, Oct. 27, however, the commissioners voted to move jury trial proceedings to the Crockett Civic Center until 2021 in order to comply with a COVID-19 plan of operations.

Houston County Judge Jim Lovell explained why the move was occurring and said it was needed in order to comply with social distancing protocols. 

Lovell explained District Court would hold jury qualifications at the Crockett Civic Center as well as voir dire – or the preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel. The trial itself would be held in the district courtroom in the Houston County Courthouse, while jury deliberations would take place in the County Court-at-Law Courtroom.

For jury trials in the County Court-at- Law, jury qualifications and voir dire will be held at the Crockett Civic Center. The trial itself will be conducted at the civic center in Meeting Room 1 and jury deliberation will be held in Meeting Room 2.

A motion to designate the Crockett Civic Center as an alternate courtroom from now until 2021 in order to comply with the COVID-19 operating plan was unanimously approved by the Commissioners Court.

The County Court at Law and the District Courts have continued to have court in the Houston County Courthouse with COVID-19 protective features since March 2020. The only proceedings that will be held at the Civic Center as an alternative courtroom will be jury selections for the courts and jury trials for the County Court at Law. This is necessary for jury proceedings to proceed safely during COVID-19 and to comply with state requirements.

We are thankful to continue to serve Houston County at the courthouse by providing open courts safely through Zoom hearings and in person throughout this time period.

Again, we apologize for any confusion this may have created.