District and appellate courts in Kansas were ordered to comply with the governor’s order to wear masks in public to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Kansas Supreme Court issued the administrative order on July 2, and it takes effect July 3, according to a news release from the courts.
Although the governor’s order exempts courts, the court’s administrative order will apply.
The Supreme Court order requires all court employees, judicial officers, and members of the public to wear a face covering in any courtroom, court office, or other facility used for a court proceeding.
Face coverings must also be worn in any nonpublic court office unless physical shields are in place. Wherever there are two or more persons present in a nonpublic office, masks or shields will be required.
Courts are required to comply even if local county commissions opt out of the governor’s executive order, according to a spokesman for the courts.
“We must protect the health and safety of court users, staff, and judicial officers during this pandemic,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said. “The use of face coverings, hygiene practices, protective shielding, and social distancing will allow us to do that as we conduct court proceedings across the state.”
The Supreme Court order allows a judge to waive the face covering requirement under certain circumstances set out in the order. That exception refers to social distancing, cleaning surfaces and restricting the number of people in a court room.
The order went into effect on July 3. The court’s administrative order is at https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Orders/2020-PR-090.pdf.