High Water: The Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Harris County Criminal Courthouses
High Water: The Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Harris County Criminal Courthouses
Harris County Criminal Courthouse
The Harris County Criminal Courthouse is a mess. Word on the street has the courthouse flooded past at least the twelfth floor. County engineers are currently assessing the building’s structural integrity and have yet to make a determination on its future.
Reality: The building needs to be blown up and rebuilt.
Harris County Criminal Court Settings
Per the Harris County District Clerk’s site:
“Due to natural disaster and the prolonged impact from recent flooding, the Harris County Criminal Justice Center will remain closed to the public during the week of September 4, 2017. This affects all cases in the Harris County District Courts Trying Criminal Cases (felony courts) and the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law (Class A or B misdemeanor courts)…
Unless specifically directed otherwise by the court, all cases originally scheduled for court appearances during the week of September 4, 2017, will automatically be rescheduled to appear in court exactly two weeks after the originally scheduled date.
At this time, regular dockets are tentatively expected to resume on September 11, 2017 (time(s) and location(s) to be determined).
Reality: the two-week reset is very optimistic and likely to turn into thirty day resets if not longer. Where these court proceedings will take place is still unknown. When Allison brought the Harris County Criminal Justice Center to its knees, vacant courthouses were used. Those courthouses are no longer available for use.
Jury Duty in Harris County
Per the Harris County District Clerk’s site:
Press Release: Jury duty has been canceled for the week of September 4, 2017. Individuals summoned by the Harris County District Clerk for jury duty during that week do not need to appear and do not need to reschedule.
Reality: Jury Duty for Criminal Cases will not resume for at least thirty days.