The E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, home of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)
With more Americans getting vaccinated and COVID-19 cases dropping in some parts of the country, courthouses have been trying to get back to normal. Jury trials resumed, masks were sometimes no longer required (for the vaccinated at least) and judges began chipping away at backlogged dockets.
The spread of the Delta variant, however, is causing some courts to make changes. Some federal courts have reinstated masking and social distancing requirements. Others are weighing what to do next amid a spike in cases and new guidance from the CDC on vaccinated people wearing masks indoors.
