UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
COVID-19
GENERAL ORDER NO. 21-3
March 17, 2021.
To facilitate the use of the emergency procedures authorized by the CARES Act,
including particularly the use of video and telephone conferencing for various criminal events
during the COVID-19 emergency, and pursuant to the mandate for the same specified in the
CARES Act, the undersigned Chief Judge for United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana hereby issues this order extending COVID-19 General Order No. 20-14, COVID-
19 General Order No. 20-11, COVID-19 General Order No. 20-8, and COVID-19 General Order
No. 20-4 (attached as Exhibit A to this Order and incorporated herein by reference) for an
additional ninety days or until June 15, 2021.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
17th day of March, 2021.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this _______
__________________________________
NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN
CHIEF JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
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EXHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
COVID-19
GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-14
December 18, 2020
To facilitate the use of the emergency procedures authorized by the CARES Act,
including particularly the use of video and telephone conferencing for various criminal events
during the COVID-19 emergency, and pursuant to the mandate for the same specified in the
CARES Act, the undersigned Chief Judge for United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana hereby issues this order extending COVID-19 General Order No. 20-11, COVID-
19 General Order No. 20-8, and COVID-19 General Order No. 20-4 (attached as Exhibit A to
this Order and incorporated herein by reference) for an additional ninety days or until March 18,
2021.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
18th day of December, 2020.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this _______
__________________________________
NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN
CHIEF JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
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EXHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
COVID-19
GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-11
September 23, 2020
To facilitate the use of the emergency procedures authorized by the CARES Act,
including particularly the use of video and telephone conferencing for various criminal events
during the COVID-19 emergency, and pursuant to the mandate for the same specified in the
CARES Act, the undersigned Chief Judge for United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana hereby issues this order extending COVID-19 General Order Nos. 20-8 and 20-4
(attached as Exhibit A to this Order and incorporated herein by reference) for an additional ninety
days or until December 22, 2020.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
23rd day of September, 2020.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this _______
__________________________________
NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN
CHIEF JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
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EXHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
COVID-19
GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-8
June 26, 2020
To facilitate the use of the emergency procedures authorized by the CARES Act,
including particularly the use of video and telephone conferencing for various criminal events
during the COVID-19 emergency, and pursuant to the mandate for the same specified in the
CARES Act, the undersigned Chief Judge for United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana hereby issues this order extending COVID-19 General Order No. 20-4 (attached as
Exhibit A to this Order and incorporated herein by reference) for an additional ninety days or
until September 24, 2020.
IT IS ORDERED.
26th day of June, 2020.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this _______
NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN
CHIEF JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
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EXHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
COVID-19
GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-4
March 30, 2020
This order is being issued in response to the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease
(COVID-19) in the United States, the State of Louisiana and specifically New Orleans, Louisiana.
The World Health Organization has declared that COVID-19 qualifies as a global pandemic,
having spread across more than 190 countries and territories with more than 140,000 confirmed
cases in the United States and 3,540 (as of this order) in Louisiana. New Orleans, where the
Eastern District of Louisiana federal courthouse is located, continues to lead the state with 1,350
coronavirus cases in Orleans Parish.
The President of the United States, Governor of the State of Louisiana, and the Mayor
of the City of New Orleans have declared a public health emergency throughout the country,
State and the City, respectively in response to the spread of COVID-19; and
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health
authorities have recommended social distancing as a means of limiting further community
spread of COVID-19; and
The State of Louisiana has issued a Stay at Home Order directing all Louisiana
residents to shelter at home and limit movements outside of their homes beyond essential
needs;
Congress has passed and the President has signed into law the CARES Act, H.R. 748,
which authorizes the use of video and telephone conferencing, under certain circumstances
and with the consent of the defendant, for various criminal case events during the course of
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EXHIBIT A
the COVID-19 emergency;
The CARES Act conditions the availability of these emergency procedures on a
finding by the Judicial Conference of the United States (JCUS) that “emergency conditions
due to the national emergency declared by the President” will “materially affect the
functioning of either the Federal courts generally or a particular district court of the United
States.” The JCUS has adopted a finding that emergency conditions exist that materially
affect the functioning of the federal courts generally.
Accordingly, to facilitate use of the emergency procedures authorized by the CARES
Act, including particularly the use of video and telephone conferencing for various criminal
events during the COVID-19 emergency, and pursuant to the mandate for same specified in
the CARES Act, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana hereby issues the following order:
1. Considering Section 15002(b)(1) of the CARES Act and by act of the undersigned
Chief Judge, the Court authorizes the use of video teleconferencing, or telephone
conferencing if video teleconferencing is not reasonably available, for the
following events:
a. Detention hearings under 18 U.S.C. § 3142.
b. Initial appearances under Rule 5 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
c. Preliminary hearings under Rule 5.1 of the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure.
d. Waivers of indictment under Rule 7(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure.
e. Arraignments under Rule 10 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
f. Probation and supervised release revocation proceedings under Rule 32.1 of
the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
g. Pretrial release revocation proceedings under 18 U.S.C. § 3148.
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EXHIBIT A
h. Appearances under Rule 40 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
i. Misdemeanor pleas and sentencings as described in Rule 43(b)(2) of the
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
j. Proceedings under chapter 403 of title 18, United States Code (commonly
known as the ‘‘Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act’’), except for contested
transfer hearings and juvenile delinquency adjudication or trial proceedings.
2. Considering Section 15002(b)(2) of the CARES Act and by act of the undersigned
Chief Judge, it is specifically found that felony pleas under Federal Rule of
Criminal Procedure 11 and felony sentencings under Rule 32 cannot be conducted
in person without seriously jeopardizing public health and safety. A felony plea or
sentencing hearing may be held by video conferencing, or by telephone
conferencing if video conferencing is not reasonably available, where the
presiding judge finds, for specific reasons, that the plea or sentencing in a
particular case cannot be further delayed without serious harm to the interests of
justice.
3. Video teleconferencing or telephone conferencing authorized by this Order may
only take place with the consent of the defendant, or the juvenile, after consultation
with counsel.
4. The public may be permitted to access any such hearing provided for in this Order
by submitting a request to the chambers of the presiding judge. Members of the
public and the media are strictly prohibited from recording or broadcasting any
hearing, in whole or in part, in any fashion.
5. The transcript in any case certified by the reporter or other individual designated
to produce the record shall be deemed prima facie a correct statement of the
testimony taken and proceedings had. No transcripts of the proceedings of the
court shall be considered as official except those made from the records certified
by the reporter or other individual designated to produce the record pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 753(b).
The public is encouraged to use online Court resources or contact the Court by telephone with
any questions. http://www.laed.uscourts.gov.
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EXHIBIT A
This order will remain in effect until further order of the Court. If this order is not terminated
within 90 days of issuance, the Court will review the authorization and determine whether to
extend the authorization.
IT IS ORDERED.
30th day of March, 2020.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this _______
NANNETTE JOLIVETTE BROWN
CHIEF JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
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