Members of the state’s judicial leadership say they largely approve of a warning from Chief Justice Harold Melton that judges could face ethics violations if they push forward with in-person court proceedings despite health risks from COVID-19.

“I don’t have a problem with the chief justice’s warning,” said Henry County Chief Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, who is president of the state Council of Superior Court Judges. “What I worry about sometimes is the fluidity of the public health guidelines” and “whether or not judges will have clear notice of what they are expected to do.”