As covid surges, Westmoreland County suspends criminal trials until February

Westmoreland County criminal and civil trials — suspended this month because of the surging number of coronavirus cases — will be halted until February.

Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway signed a court order Tuesday to delay all trials until Feb. 1. Two weeks of civil trials and one week of criminal trials had been scheduled for January.

Other court hearings will continue.

“However, we are conducting as many hearings as possible remotely,” Hathaway said.

As covid cases continue to dramatically spike in Pennsylvania and Westmoreland County, the number of courthouse staffers infected also increased in recent weeks, spreading throughout several departments and causing two offices to briefly close last week.

Several court-related courthouse offices — including the clerk of courts, recorder of deeds and prothonotary — are closed to general walk-in business and require the public to schedule appointments.

Two county judges were off the job in November after contracting the virus and on Tuesday, Commissioner Sean Kertes and Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline announced they tested positive for coronavirus. More than 100 county prison inmates contracted the virus at the Hempfield lockup in the last 10 days.

All county offices at the courthouse were open on Tuesday.

Alexis Bevan, the county’s human resources director, said, since the start of the pandemic, 103 government employees tested positive for the virus. That number does not include 66 staffers who were infected at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield, she said.