Rhode Island courts prepare to open some buildings June 1

Two of Rhode Island’s court buildings will open on a limited basis starting June 1. So what will justice look like in the age of the coronavirus?

NBC 10 News went behind the scenes to find out.

Before we could enter the Licht Judicial Complex on Benefit Street in Providence, we had to put on masks and answer a long list of health questions to make sure we weren’t experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Once inside, sheriffs will make sure elevators carry just two people at a time, and signs posted throughout the building will remind everyone to keep a safe distance of at least 6 feet.

"We'd like to show all of you today how it is we want to roll things out on June 1,” said State Court Administrator Joe Baxter, who’s been heading up plans to safely reopen the Licht complex, which houses the Superior and Supreme Courts, and the Garrahy complex, which houses District, Family and Workers Compensation courts.

Baxter told reporters that Superior Court would have a maximum of about 15 percent of its normal capacity. That will mean no more than eight cases per hour, per courtroom, with just two courtrooms in session each day.

People inside will socially distance during each case, and others waiting for cases can sit in a nearby courtroom while maintaining a safe distance.

Court has remained in session online throughout the pandemic.

"We want to continue and grow that even further, but we also recognize there are some matters that need to be onsite and in person,” Baxter said.

Despite the remote hearings, though, some cases have still piled up.

"We're not going to handle the backlog in a month or two. But we'll chip away at it. That's our goal,” said Marisa Brown, Superior Court administrator.

Brown said Superior Court normally handles up to 100 cases per courtroom each day. With that capacity drastically reduced, judges will continue hearing as many matters as possible online for the foreseeable future.

Across the river at the Garrahy complex, judges are also preparing for a new normal.

“I think it will be a lot more fluid,” said Chief Judge Michael Forte of the Family Court.

Forte said limits on capacity could actually make court proceedings easier by reducing crowds and chaos in the hallways. That can be especially tough for abuse victims confronting an abuser, he said.

And even happy events like adoptions may need to happen virtually, rather than with large groups of family and friends gathered in Family Court.

"It's a big event, but they're not going to be able to do that,” Forte said. “They're not going to be able to bring 20 people with them."

Dr. James McDonald of the Rhode Island Department of Health was on hand to check out the plans for both courthouses and answer questions.

"Everything we're doing in the pandemic is about reducing risk,” McDonald said.

He said one possible exception to the mask-wearing rules could be when a witness is testifying. In that case, McDonald said the witness could probably remove their mask safely as long as other people stayed at least 12 feet away, rather than 6.