At least 36 lost their homes, court officials confirmed
The Los Angeles wildfires have gutted the residences of at least 36 judges and of federal and state court employees, reported Reuters.
Court officials said they were in the process of ascertaining the impact of the fires on court personnel, many of whom were displaced. LA County Superior Court spokesperson Rob Oftring said in a statement published by Reuters that at least 13 judicial officers and 12 superior court staff lost their homes; others did not know the status of theirs.
Brian Karth, the district court executive for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, said the fires destroyed the homes of five judges – including district court and magistrate judges – and six federal court employees. Moreover, 43 employees indicated that they were affected by the fires.
Ciaran McEvoy, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in LA, confirmed that several attorneys had lost their homes as well.
“Members of the office and law enforcement community have stepped in to give them aid and shelter during this very difficult time. The Justice Department at large also is offering counseling, crisis assistance, and referrals to additional resources for disaster relief,” McEvoy wrote in an email statement published by Reuters.
As of last Wednesday, the majority of LA county federal and state courts were holding proceedings. Karth said that the federal court was allowing those who could work to telework; those who could not were allowed to take time off.
Lawyers and litigants were being permitted to make federal and state court appearances remotely. Superior court judges were also considering requests to delay proceedings on a case-by-case basis.
“Obviously they are trying to put their lives back together. We're doing what we can to assist the understanding of their circumstances,” Karth said in a statement published by Reuters.
To date, the wildfires have either damaged or destroyed over 12,000 structures and killed at least 25 people.
