The Pierce County Superior Court Executive Committee has updated the masking guidelines for staff and court participants. COVID protocols for the court have been developed in conjunction with court stakeholders, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Labor and Industries, State Department of Health and the Administrative Office of the Courts, with the safety of our jurors, employees and court participants in mind. According to officials, court protocols are continuously reviewed the ensure compliance with best practices/mandates.
Effective Tuesday, August 3, 2021:
All staff and court participants, regardless of vaccination status are required to be masked. The exception is when speaking in a courtroom session, eating, or drinking, or for staff who are in private individual workspace. This applies to all Pierce County Superior Court locations (County City Building, Armory, Western State Hospital, Lakewood Community Center, Juvenile Court/Remann Hall). Social Distancing is only required for jurors prior to August 16th when the social distancing requirement is lifted. Judge or Commissioner courtroom protocol is up to the individual Judge or Commissioner and may be more restrictive based on the events occurring in the courtroom. If you have questions about individual courtroom procedures, please ask the judicial assistant or courtroom clerk.
Effective August 16, 2021:
Jurors will no longer be required to socially distance. All jurors, staff and court participants will be required to wear their masks unless speaking, eating, or drinking. Jury orientation will move back to Room 123 (Jury Assembly) in the County City Building (orientation has been held in the Tacoma Arts Live Armory since July of 2020).
Also, our courtrooms will resume normal operations, except for mandatory wearing of face masks. This means jurors will be in the jury boxes. They will also be using the courtroom’s jury deliberation room. Judges will be moving back to their regularly assigned courtrooms at or near August 16.
