While we are all well aware of its impact on restaurants and businesses, Kentucky’s courts are staying closed for several more weeks after an order from the state’s chief justice.

Courtrooms will now stay empty until at least June 1, after a re-extension of most in-person proceedings.

Now officials are left wondering how to move the justice system forward during that time.

The Chief Judge of Fayette County Circuit Court, Kimberly Bunnell, wants to make it clear though, they are still working during this time.

Emergency cases such as bond hearings and arraignments are still being done through video calls.

Bunnell says she is concerned about a backlog of cases when courts do finally reopen but says judges will change their motion hours to adjust to the increased caseload.

She says just like the rest of the state, courthouses will have to reopen slowly when June 1 rolls around.

“I think it’s possible to do a slow re-introduction, especially with maybe some of the civil cases, and maybe you limit how many people you allow into the courthouse at a time,” says Judge Bunnell. “Previously, we were already limiting how many people we would let into the court room at a time. Maybe we schedule cases one at a time so that you don’t have folks, kind of, overlapping.”

This is the second time the order has been extended by the Kentucky Supreme Court, with the courts originally being scheduled to reopen on April 10.