Most courts across the metro area have been shut down because of the ice and snow, backing up cases and giving summoned residents a legitimate reason to miss jury duty.
Just about the only courts remaining open early this week were those in the local jails where magistrate judges have been holding first-appearance hearings for defendants recently charged with crimes.
"The show still must go on," Fulton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Tracy Flanagan said. Magistrate judges held hearings Monday and Tuesday, she said.
By law, first-appearance hearings must be held within 48 hours for anyone arrested without a warrant and within 72 hours for anyone arrested with a warrant. These hearings let the accused know what charges they are facing and notify them of their constitutional rights. They also require authorities to show probable cause for the arrest.
Court calendars and hearings in most other metro area courts -- Superior, State, Magistrate, Juvenile and Probate -- were canceled Monday and Tuesday. The Georgia Supreme Court and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta also postponed oral arguments in a number of high-profile cases.
Postponing trials because of the inclement weather was not a difficult decision, court officials said.
"The underlying logic is if the schools are closed, then obviously what's also been created besides hazardous weather and road conditions is child care problems for anybody that is a potential juror or anybody that is of age to have children that need care during the day," Gwinnett County Chief Magistrate George Hutchinson said.
Fulton court officials asked that anyone who received a summons for jury service this week monitor the county's website for notifications as to courthouse closings.
"We realize this is an inconvenience for jurors, but their safety and well-being are of critical importance to us,” acting Chief Superior Court Judge Alford J. Dempsey said in a statement.
Atlanta lawyer Linda Klein, former president of the State Bar of Georgia, said the sooner the courts can be reopened, the better. "Every day the system has to be suspended is another day of delay for litigants and crime victims to get their day in court," she said.
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