All Fresno County courts to shut down amid coronavirus crisis

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County has shut down all its courts except for emergency functions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The closure will be in effect from Monday, March 23, to Friday, April 3, presiding judge Arlan Harrell wrote in a letter to the other main players in the courts on Sunday.

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This means that all cases will stop for now. The court will still remain open for certain emergency orders, such as search warrants and domestic violence restraining orders.

The courthouse has been scaling back operations since Governor Gavin Newsom's 'shelter-in-place' directive. But people have been jammed into the few courthouses that have been in use over the last few days.

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Courts are deemed essential, especially for time-sensitive hearings mandated by the Constitution and those that can help protect families and victims of domestic violence.