UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO 1[20 ,.PR -6 Pi-t 2: 33
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EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES GENERAL ORDER NO. 20-09
CREATED BY COVID-19 REGARDING
U.S. MARSHAL SERVICE OF PROCESS
This Court issues this General Order, as one in a series of General Orders, in response to
the exponential spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Southern District of
Ohio and elsewhere. There are multiple confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the Southern
District of Ohio generally and in each seat of Court in the Southern District of Ohio: Columbus,
Cincinnati, and Dayton. The President has invoked the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C.
§ 1601, et seq. with respect to COVID-19, has issued guidelines mandating social distancing and
the discontinuance of discretionary travel, and the Governor of the State of Ohio, Mike DeWine,
has also declared a state of emergency which, among other things, limits large indoor gatherings
and has limited travel to essential travel within the state and its respective communities. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health authorities have advised
taking precautions to reduce the possibility of exposure to the virus and the exponential spread of
the disease.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED by the United States District Court of the Southern District
of Ohio, that any requirement that personnel in the United States Marshals Service assigned to
the Southern District of Ohio effect personal service of process under Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 4(c)(3), 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d), or 28 U.S.C. § 1916, for any cases pending in this
District or any other district, is SUSPENDED until further Order of the Court; and it is further
ORDERED that this Order does not apply to service of process by mail, waivers of
service under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d), or service by electronic means, unless
otherwise ordered by the Court upon notification by the United States Marshals Service that
effecting service of process by mail or electronic means as may be authorized by the Ohio Rules
of Civil Procedure-or any equivalent rule of civil procedure applicable to cases pending in any
other district where United States Marshals Service personnel assigned to the Southern District
of Ohio have been ordered to effect personal service-would interfere with other critical
functions they are performing in connection with responding to the COVID-19 public health
emergency; and it is further
ORDERED that, in any civil case in which the United States Marshals Service has been
ordered to serve process, the time for service under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(m) is
TOLLED until further Order of the Court.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: April 6, 2020
ALGEN LEY
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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