Southern District of New York Authorizes Video, Telephone Conferencing for All Proceedings

NEW YORK –– A New York federal court has ordered judges in the district to conduct proceedings remotely, saying in part that in-person proceedings cannot be conducted “without seriously jeopardizing public health and safety.”

In the March 30 standing order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York authorized the use of video teleconferencing or telephone conferencing to conduct proceedings.

In the Order, Chief U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon explained that, as of March 30, there have been more than 30,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City alone and “estimates suggest that the number of …