ORDER OF COURT 

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA 
 
WESTERN DISTRICT 

No.  23 WM 2020 

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IN RE: AMENDED  
FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT 
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS 
PLAN  
 
 

AND NOW, this 15th day of September 2020, having previously declared 

a judicial emergency in the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and having 

suspended  jury  trials  until  further  Order  of  Court,  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).  All provisions of 

this Order apply through December 31, 2020.  

Resumption  of  Jury  Trials  in  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  of 
Pennsylvania 

  Jury  selection  for  trials  in  both  the  Criminal  and  Civil  Divisions  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  District  shall  resume  on 
October 19, 2020. 
 

  The Administrative Judge of each Division shall determine which cases 

shall proceed to trial by jury during the pendency of this Order. 

  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 

   

   

 

 

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the  Convention  Center  through  the  West  Lobby  entrance  of  the 
Convention Center. 
 

  Jury  trials  for  Civil  Division  cases  shall  be  heard  in  the  Convention 

Center.   

  Jury trials for Criminal Division matters shall be heard in one of three 
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  The Gold Room located on the 4th floor of the Courthouse, 436 Grant 

Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219; and  

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

Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. 
 

  With  prior  approval  of  the  Sheriff  of  Allegheny  County  and  the 
Adminstrative  Judge,  some  criminal  jury  trials  may  take  place  in  the 
Convention Center, provided that the defendant is not incarcerated and  
the case does not involve a crime of violence, the use or possession of 
a  firearm  or  other  deadly  weapon,  or  the  delivery  of  a  controlled 
substance.   

I.  Other matters to be heard at the Convention Center 

 

 

  Other  minor  matters,  such  as  traffic  matters,  as  designated  by  the 
President Judge, the with approval of the Sheriff of Allegheny County, 
may be heard in the Convention Center. 
 

III.  Safety and Health Measures 

  For purposes of this Order and to hear and dispose of matters set forth 
in  this  Order,  the  David  L.  Lawrence  Convention  Center  and  the  Gold 

 

 

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Room  located  on  the  4th  floor  of  the  Courthouse  are  deemed  court 
facilities.    All  provisions  regarding  court  facilities  contained  in  the 
Emergency Operations Plan Order entered on August 31, 2020 and its 
attachments shall apply to the Convention Center and the Gold Room. 
 

  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.    Sheriff’s  deputies  shall  have  full  authority  to 
enforce the provisions of the August 31, 2020 Order in the Convention 
Center.   
 

  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: 

  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  Gold  Room,  the  Civil  Division  Assignment 
Room, and Courtroom 313. 

o  COVID-19 screening questions will be administered. 
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.  

o  All  provisions  regarding  court  facilities  contained  in  the  Emergency 
Operations  Plan  Order  entered  on  August  31,  2020  and  its 
attachments  shall  apply  to  the  Convention  Center  and  the  Gold 
Room. 

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  Sheriff’s  deputies,  police,  constables,  and  building  security  shall  have 
the authority to enforce all of the conditions in this Order and the August 
31,  2020  Emergency  Operations  Plan  Order.    Persons  who  are  not 
compliant  with  these  orders  will  be  required  to  leave  the  Convention 
Center or other court facility. 

By the Court: 
 

Kim Berkeley Clark 
President Judge 

.P.J. 

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