Judicial Conference finding under CARES Act § 15002 that emergency conditions due to the COVID-19 national emergency will materially affect the functioning of the federal courts generally

The record

Jurisdiction

United States federal courts (all districts)

Level

Court

Authority

CARES Act § 15002(b)(1), Pub. L. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, 528 (Mar. 27, 2020)

Issued

2020-03-29 Mar. 29, 2020

Effective

2020-03-29 through the 'covered emergency period' (30 days after termination of the national emergency; CARES Act § 15002(a)) (read as 2020-03-29)

End

2023-05-10 (30 days after Pub. L. 118-3 terminated the national emergency; post-period) (read as 2023-05-10)

In force

Mar. 29, 2020 to May 10, 2023

Quarters

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

Limitation types

Courts and public offices

Addressees

• chief judges of the 94 district courts
• criminal defendants and counsel

Functions reached

• CT every federal district authorized video and telephone criminal proceedings.

Collection

Federal commerce, travel, workplace and finance layer FED-B

Operative words

emergency conditions due to the national emergency declared by the President with respect to COVID-19 will materially affect the functioning of the federal courts generally [the Judicial Conference finding quoted in the announcement]; CARES Act § 15002(b)(1): 'if the Judicial Conference of the United States finds that emergency conditions due to the national emergency declared by the President under the National Emergencies Act... will materially affect the functioning of either the Federal courts generally or a particular district court of the United States, the chief judge of a district court covered by the finding... may authorize the use of video teleconferencing, or telephone conferencing if video teleconferencing is not reasonably available, for the following events: (A) Detention hearings... (B) Initial appearances...'

Enforcement

Notes