ORDER OF COURT 

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA 
 
WESTERN DISTRICT 

No.  23 WM 2020 

) 
) 
) 
) 
) 
) 

   

 

 
IN RE: AMENDMENT TO  
FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT 
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS 
PLAN  
 
 

AND  NOW,  this  19th  day  of  April  2021,  having  previously  declared  a 

judicial  emergency  in  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania,  this  Court 

amends its previous Emergency Operations Orders and now orders that the 

actions set forth below be taken pursuant to Pa.R.J.A. No. 1952(B)(2).   

Resumption  of  Jury  Trials  in  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  of 
Pennsylvania 

  Jury selection for trials in the Criminal Division of the Court of Common 
Pleas  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  shall  resume  on  Tuesday,  April  27, 
2021. 
 

  The Administrative Judge of the Criminal Division shall determine which 

cases shall proceed to jury selection. 

  Jury selection for all matters shall take place in the David L. Lawrence 
Convention Center (hereinafter the Convention Center), located at 1000 
Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  All persons shall enter 
the  Convention  Center  through  the  West  Lobby  entrance  of  the 
Convention Center. 
 

   

   

 

 

. 

  I

 

1 

  Jury  trials  for  Criminal  Division  matters  shall  be  heard  in  one  of  two 
locations  that  are  large  enough  to  ensure  sufficient  social  distancing. 
These locations are:   

o  Courtroom 700 (Civil Division Assignment Room) located on the 7th 
floor  of  the  City-County  Building,  414  Grant  Street,  Pittsburgh,  PA 
15219. 

o  Courtroom 313 located on the 3rd floor of the Courthouse, 436 Grant 

Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. 
 

II.  Safety and Health Measures 

 

  The Allegheny County Sheriff shall provide security for all court activities 
in the Convention Center and for jury trials in the Courthouse and the 
City-County Building.   

  For purposes of this Order, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center is 
deemed  to  be  a  court  facility.    All  provisions  regarding  court  facilities 
contained in the Emergency Operations Plan Order entered on August 
31, 2020 and its attachments shall continue to apply and shall apply to 
the  Convention  Center.  Sheriff’s  deputies,  police,  constables,  and 
building security shall have the authority to enforce all such conditions.  
Persons  who  are  not  compliant  with  these  orders  will  be  required  to 
leave the Convention Center or other court facility. 

  The health and safety of all persons, including but not limited to, jurors, 
witnesses  and  victims,  defendants,  attorneys,  employees,  judges  and 
judicial staff is a priority of the Court.  Accordingly,  health and safety 
measures are in place and include: 

o  All  persons  shall  be  required  to  undergo  security  screening 
(magnetometer and x-ray) upon entry to the Convention Center, the 
City-County Building, and the Courthouse. 

o  Temperature  checks  will  be  administered  upon  entry  to  the 
Convention  Center,  the  Civil  Division  Assignment  Room,  and 
Courtroom 313. 

o  COVID-19 screening questions will be administered. 

 

2 

o  Social  distancing  is  ordered  and  will  be  practiced  in  all  courtrooms 

and jury assembly rooms. 

o  Face  masks  or  coverings  must  be  worn  by  all  persons  entering  or 
remaining in court facilities. Masks will be available for those who do 
not have one. 

o  Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at key areas throughout court 

facilities.  

o  The  public,  including  the  news  media,  will  observe  jury  trials  in  

separate courtrooms or rooms designated for this purpose.  
 

By the Court: 
 

Kim Berkeley Clark 
President Judge 

P.J. 

3