Butler Snow attorney Michael B. Hewes was recently mentioned and quoted in an article by the Mississippi Business Journal about how COVID-19 is affecting the way the state’s court system conducts business.
The following is an excerpt from the article:
Hewes, an attorney with the Gulfport office of Butler Snow, says he and others in the firm are maintaining regular contact with clients, primarily through scheduled video conferences or phone conferences. “Many clients are under similar quarantine restrictions and there are few, if any, face-to-face meetings currently scheduled,” he said.
Hewes feels all cases have some degree of urgency in the context of jury trial settings, but his firm is seeing trial dates moved further down the calendar. “There have been hearings, conferences and petitions to get a firm timeline, and while some cases are slotted, the situation regarding scheduling is fluid and we are all working together to be as flexible as possible to ensure we are proceeding in a method that is the safest and most efficient for all parties,” he said.
Hewes foresees more remote activities in the future until restrictions are lifted in their entirety. “On the civil side, many judges have continued trial settings, hearings, appearances etc. for 60 days or more and will revisit the continuance upon expiration of the period,” he said. “We have seen some cases where judges have continued any litigation activities involving face-to-face contact (depositions, medical examinations, etc.) for a defined period in light of the quarantine.”
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
