Fresno County Superior Court is scaling back its operations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, joining Madera and Tulare counties, which have announced their own plans to reduce operations.

Kings County Superior Court officials reported Tuesday afternoon their own operations are continuing as normal.

In a press release, Fresno County court officials stated, “after consultation with the Fresno County Administrative Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, the Fresno County District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s offices, the Fresno County Probation Department and the Fresno Police Department, [we] will be scaling back court operations immediately in response to the executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom, regarding COVID-19.”

Exactly what will be put off and what activities will continue at the Fresno courthouse wasn’t immediately clear, as the press release stated those details would come later.

Tulare and Madera counties’ courts issued more detailed accounts of their plans, stating among other things, that:

– All civil Madera County civil trials — with the exception of unlawful detainer trials — case management conferences and mandatory settlement conferences scheduled between today and April 3 are continued on a rolling basis for eight weeks from the currently scheduled trial date.

– Madera County will keep one department open to hear all unlawful detainer matters, requests for emergency ex parte temporary restraining orders, emergency ex parte probate matters and all statutorily mandated hearings.

A full list of the changes for Madera County’s court is available online at http://madera.courts.ca.gov/Images/Press%20Release%20Suspension%20Nonessential%20Services.pdf or at https://bit.ly/2UaR7Wu.

Tulare County’s list of changes includes similar continuations of trial and hearing dates and that all service counters are closed to the public through April 17.

“Increased availability of phone, email, and drop-box options will be available to facilitate regular court transactions. Payments will be accepted online, by telephone or drop box,” the release continues.

View Tulare County’s list of changes online at http://www.tularesuperiorcourt.ca.gov/docs/COVID-19.pdf