Eviction cases will proceed next week despite Tulsa County District Court postponing most other face-to-face proceedings until January, prompting complaints from tenant advocates who say the arrangement seems unfair.
The court announced this week that nearly all in-person proceedings would be suspended until Jan. 11, while jury trials had already been pushed back to Feb. 1, to fight the spread of COVID-19. But the order applies only to the county courthouse itself, not to the separate Family Center for Juvenile Justice.
Eviction dockets moved to the Family Center last June to allow more space for social distancing during the pandemic.
If they become confused by reports of the courthouse being closed and don’t show up for a court date, tenants will lose by default, said Katie Dilks, executive director for the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation.
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“Beyond that,” Dilks said, “as a policy matter it’s not safe to be doing evictions right now, period.”
The courtroom itself accommodates social distancing, with only a few people at a time allowed inside, she said. Hallways and waiting areas, however, become crowded with as many as 80 defendants at a time, she said.
Meanwhile, evicted families face a higher risk of catching the virus as they move into shelters or have to share space with other households, Dilks said.
“It really is a matter of life and death,” she said.
Video: Let’s Talk Town Hall focuses on eviction crisis.
Let's Talk Town Hall discusses the eviction crisis.
