The Kenosha County Courthouse will reopen to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Kenosha County Clerk of Courts Rebecca Matoska-Mentink announced today.
Court operations will resume in the same manner as before the recent unrest that caused the closure of the Courthouse on Aug. 24, Matoska-Mentink said. A temporary drop box at the Kenosha County Job Center for paper court filings will no longer be available after Friday, Sept. 4.
While Kenosha County’s Civic Center government campus will remain fenced in at the start of next week, visitors to the Courthouse will be able to enter during business hours via a gate in front of the main entrance on 56th Street. Other county buildings on the campus will remain closed to the public until further notice, with services remaining available online or by phone.
COVID-19-minded health and safety protocols will remain in place within the Courthouse, including the use of only certain courtrooms to ensure social distancing during trials. Courtrooms and other areas will continue to be thoroughly cleaned each evening after courts recess.
While jury trials are being conducted in person, many court hearings will continue to be held via phone and video conference until further notice.
Chief Judge Jason Rossell credited Kenosha County and State of Wisconsin courts staff for their hard work in adjusting to the recent events.
“Thank you to Courthouse and information technology staff and Court Operations in Madison for working so quickly and effectively to get the courts running during this disruption,” Rossell said.