UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
INRE: GENERAL ORDER
COURT OPERATIONS UNDER THE EXIGENT
MAR 29 2021 F'M3:02
CIRCUMSTANCES CREATED BY COVID-19 l=TL'fl
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WHEREAS, the President of the United States has declared a national emergency, and the
Governor of the State of Connecticut has declared a public health emergency throughout the State,
WHEREAS, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") has advised
people to take precautions in light of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) outbreak, and has noted
that the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus, through, among other
means, social distancing,
WHEREAS, the Court continues to review its operations to identify measures that will help
slow the spread of the virus by minimizing contact between persons, while at the same time
preserving its core mission of serving the public through the fair and impartial administration of
justice,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, effective on April 5, 2021, and until further order of the
Court, that the District Court Clerk's Office in all three seats of Court will be open to the public,
with the following restrictions:
1) This order supersedes the General Order entered on March 24, 2020.
2) There will be no computer terminal available for use by a member of the public.
Litigants may telephone the Clerk's Office in each seat of Court to obtain information
and to request necessary copies of documents from each litigant's case file. Litigants
and members of the public may also continue to access court orders on the Court's
website at the following link: https://ccf.ctd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/Opinions.pl
Electronic dockets may continue to be accessed through PACER.
3) The Clerk's Office will not accept cash payments. Any person required to make
payments to the Court shall make such payment by check or money order. Each check
or money order shall indicate the docket number of the case and the purpose of the
payment (e.g., "restitution"). Should any person subject to a payment order be unable
to obtain a check or money order, that person may file a motion to request temporary
relief from the payment obligation from the judge assigned to the case. Individual
judges may decide, in their discretion, to require some showing that the litigant has
made reasonable efforts to obtain a check or money order. Payments may also be made
online using Pay.gov. Instructions for using Pay.gov can be found online at
4) In the New Haven and Bridgeport seats of court, only one member of the public may
be present at the Clerk's office counter at a time. Any others will need to wait in the
hallway outside the Clerk's Office in a line, each maintaining six feet of distance from
the other.
5) In the Hartford seat of court, up to three members of the public may be present at the
Clerk's office counter at a time, as long as they maintain at least six feet of distance
between them. Any others will need to wait in the hallway outside the Clerk's Office
in a line, each maintaining six feet of distance from the other.
SO ORDERED:
Dated: ,111vT£tz?. 2/)C/ /s/ Stefan R. Underhill
Bridgeport, CT Stefk?R. Underhill
Chief United State District Judge
