IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE

IN RE: COURT OPERATIONS UNDER : STANDING ORDER

THE EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES :

CREATED BY COVID-19 : TRANSITION TO PHASE 3

AND NOW, this 25th day of May, 2021, pursuant to recently-updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO), the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), and on the recommendation of the Court’s Re-Opening Committee, which has conferred throughout the pandemic to draft and adopt Court operating and reopening guidelines,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED as follows:

1. The District of Delaware will begin to operate under Phase 3 of the Re-Opening Guidelines on June 7, 2021. Phase 3 begins a return to normal court operations and permits the Court to fully resume on-site and public-facing activities, including court proceedings, at the discretion of the presiding judge in each individual case.

2. As of the date of this Order, the Court remains able to conduct only one jury trial at a time. It is expected that with the easing of social distancing requirements (see below) and improving health conditions the Court will soon be able to expand to conducting multiple simultaneous jury trials (although jury selection is likely to be limited to one trial per day).

3. Following the Twenty-Ninth Modification of the Declaration of a State of Emergency for the State of Delaware issued by Governor John Carney, effective May 21, 2021, masks will continue to be required in all public common areas, and social distancing requirements will be reduced from six feet to three feet in all areas of the courthouse. See also In re: Use of Face Mask/Coverings in Public Areas of the District and Bankruptcy Courts, Revised Standing Order (July 16, 2020) (available at https://www.ded.uscourts.gov/sites/ded/files/news/ORDER%20FACE%20COVERING%207-16-20.pdf).

4. Presiding judges will determine if and when masks may be removed in the courtroom.

5. The Court will continue to monitor conditions with respect to coronavirus in Delaware and the surrounding region and will consider guidance from the CDC and other federal, state, and local public health authorities, and will modify its procedures as warranted.

FOR THE COURT:

/s/ Leonard P. Stark

Chief District Judge

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NEW JUDGE APPOINTED TO DELAWARE BANKRUPTCY COURT.....LEARN MORE

AMENDED ORDER ASSIGNING CERTAIN JUDGES TO CASES UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS REORGANIZATION ACT.....LEARN MORE

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April 5 Jury Trial Notice.pdf

FROM THE DELAWARE JUDICIARY: 

CHIEF JUSTICE EXTENDS JUDICIAL EMERGENCY TO MAY 3RD.....LEARN MORE

THE FOLLOWING JURISDICTIONS WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY,  APRIL 2ND IN OBSERVANCE OF GOOD FRIDAY: 

DELAWARE STATE COURTS*
DELAWARE FEDERAL COURTS
NEW CASTLE COUNTY OFFICES
KENT COUNTY OFFICES
SUSSEX COUNTY OFFICES 

*JP COURTS #11, #7, & #3 WILL REMAIN OPEN

March 29, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR REAPPOINTMENT OF BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

The current 14-year term of office for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kathryn C. Ferguson for the District of New Jersey is due to expire on November 9, 2021. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is considering the reappointment to a new 14-year term of office. Upon reappointment, the incumbent would continue to exercise the jurisdiction of a bankruptcy judge as specified in Title 28, United States Code; Title 11, United States Code; and the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-353, §§ 101- 122, 98 Stat. 333-346. In bankruptcy cases and proceedings referred by the district court, the incumbents would continue to perform the duties of a bankruptcy judge that might include holding status conferences, conducting hearings and trials, making final determinations, entering orders and judgments, and submitting proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law to the district court. Members of the bar and the public are invited to submit comments for consideration by the Court of Appeals regarding the reappointments of Judge Kathryn C. Ferguson.

All comments should be directed to one of the following addresses:

By e-mail: ca3_Ferguson_Reappointment@ca3.uscourts.gov

By mail: Margaret Wiegand, Circuit Executive Office of the Circuit Executive 22409 U.S. Courthouse 601 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19106-1790

Comments must be received no later than noon on April 29, 2021.

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