The 13th Judicial Circuit, which presides over Hillsborough County, suspended all in-person court appearances, transfer of inmates from jail to the courthouse and all trials on January 5, 2021, due to recent spikes in COVID-19 positivity rates. With this service change, the circuit court will continue operating under phased operations, allowing the courthouse to be available to the public. Any already scheduled in-person hearings will be able to go online to check their case records.

Chief Judge Ronald Ficarrotta, who oversees the circuit court of Hillsborough County, expects this moratorium to remain in effect until March 2021, though many cases will still process these matters virtually.


Impact of COVID-19 on Tampa Area Court Cases

Many court appearances in the Tampa area of Hillsborough Courts have been conducted virtually since the onset of the pandemic. Status checks, motion, and first appearances had all transitioned to online formats, though adjudication of cases in civil and jury trials are getting impacted.

Courtrooms in Tampa and other Florida courtrooms face major challenges observing CDC guidelines to ensure minimal exposure of the public and judiciary staff to this dangerous disease. Many courtrooms throughout the United States do not have the necessary space in hallways and seating areas to practice necessary social distance requirements.

With these critical steps in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus in Tampa area courthouses, Judge Ficarrotta acknowledged that a case backlog is unavoidable. He explained that prosecutors will focus on addressing cases that do not require trials to help manage the expected delays ahead. There is also an anticipation of a surge in new cases after the moratorium has lifted because of COVID-19 impacts on the Hillsborough County judicial system.