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Law360 (March 16, 2020, 5:30 PM EDT) -- The Eleventh Circuit began screening visitors Monday to the Tuttle Courthouse and Godbold Federal Building in Atlanta and temporarily waived paper filing requirements to combat the spread of coronavirus.
In an order issued Sunday, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Ed Carnes said only judges, court staff, members of the media and visitors with official business with the court will be allowed into the two Eleventh Circuit buildings.
Anyone who is experiencing flu-like symptoms or who has had a known contact with a person with COVID-19 will not be allowed inside, according to the order.
"We will continue to assess the ongoing need for the entry restrictions and update as warranted," Judge Carnes said in a notice. "We are taking this temporary action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and out of concern for the health and safety of the courthouse community."
Parties that have electronically filed their briefs and appendices will be allowed to file the required paper copies of the documents at a later date if they file a notice that they can't comply with the requirement, according to the order.
The Eleventh Circuit has no oral arguments scheduled until the week of March 30, when cases are set to be heard by panels in both Atlanta and Miami.
The move came on the heels of an announcement last week that the Eleventh Circuit's 2020 judicial conference set for May 6 through May 9 in Atlanta would be cancelled.
"Although circuit judicial conferences provide a good opportunity for judges and lawyers to learn from each other and from speakers, I concluded that the cancellation was necessary and prudent in the interest of the health of all of those who would have attended the conference," Judge Carnes said in the March 11 order canceling the event.
--Editing by Adam LoBelia.
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