Supreme Court Extends Suspension of In-Person Proceedings
The Supreme Court of Alabama issued a new Administrative Order today which extends all deadlines and orders concerning the suspension of in-person proceedings through April 30. You can read that order here.
Special Message from Gov. Ivey to Small Businesses
Gov. Kay Ivey issued a message pertaining to federal stimulus dollars that we wanted to share with you. We also ask that you share it with your clients, especially small business owners, as quickly possible. Small businesses throughout the country, including law firms, will be competing with you for the limited amount of funds that are available. You can’t afford to wait to prepare the documents that are needed to apply for funding relief caused by COVID-19. View the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) Borrower Fact Sheet here.
Gov. Ivey Extends Proclamation Involving Notarizing by Video Conference
Today, Gov. Ivey amended her emergency proclamation issued March 26, to address the remote notarization of documents. Now any notary appointed in Alabama can notarize by video conference. It also addresses new provisions in jails to slow the transmission of COVID-19. Please read the full proclamation here.
AOC Letter to Attorneys Regarding Zoom Video Conferencing
The Administrative Office of Courts has prepared a letter to Alabama attorneys explaining how the Zoom video conferencing system works that has been implemented through Alacourt. AOC has purchased Zoom Professional licenses which will allow Judges to conduct virtual hearings without the time limitations imposed by the free version of Zoom. If the Judge initiates the virtual hearing, attorneys will receive an email notification with the date and time of the virtual hearing. The email will also include a link for the attorney to click on which will download a copy of Zoom at no expense to the attorney. The letter also outlines the equipment required to participate in a video hearing with the Judge. Please read the full letter here. A Sample Virtual Hearing Notice can be viewed here.
In addition, Judges have asked us to remind attorneys that they are working and accessible by phone and email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to judges concerning your cases. They are willing to work with you to move the process forward through video conferencing and other ways that follow guidelines set out by the Supreme Court.
TODAY: Tune into our Facebook Live Webinar with Judges Pulliam and Medley
Make plans to tune in at 3 p.m. today to hear from Judge Teresa Pulliam, President of the Circuit Judges Association, and Judge Carole Medley, President of the District Judges Association. They’ll talk about the Courts remaining open and accessible and the innovative ways judges are moving through legal proceedings despite the closure of some courthouses to the public. You can watch and ask questions on the webinar on our Facebook page.
