ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - As Florida slowly returns to normalcy following stringent COVID-19 restrictions throughout most of 2020 and much of 2021, the Orange County Courthouse faces a sizable backlog of trials.

What You Need To Know

  • Cases have piled up at Orange County Courthouse

  • A judge estimates the backlog at 300 criminal cases and 100 civil cases

  • In-person proceedings were shut down early in the COVID pandemic

  • They are expected to resume soon, the judge says

Chief Judge Donald A. Myers of the 9th Circuit Court said the courthouse is behind on 100 civil cases, which he estimated will take about 400 days to complete.

The criminal backlog is an estimated 300 cases, which would be a 600-day backlog, Myers said.

Chief Judge Donald A. Myers of the 9th Circuit Court says in-person proceedings are expected to resume soon following the COVID-19 shutdown because they are the most effective way to resolve cases.

 

"We think we'll work thru those backlogs pretty sufficiently,” Myers said. “I'd be surprised if we're not entirely caught up in the criminal (cases) by the end of the year. And in civil, it's probably going to take us a little bit longer because it's not the priority."

In-person proceedings are on the horizon because it’s the most effective way to resolve cases, according to Myers.