In normal times, a member of the public can sit in on court proceedings as they happen, but with Philadelphia City Hall closed due to COVID-19 and hearings held on Zoom calls between lawyers and judges, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas currently has no plan to allow public access to civil cases of interest.

One case in particular that has gone without public access—and has featured prominently in the spotlight because of its controversial nature—is the lawsuit over the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia.