COVID-19 Court Information

Cochise County Courts Resume In-Person Court Proceedings

BISBEE, Ariz. (July 23, 2021) – Effective today, Cochise County Courts will resume normal court operations under phase III of the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order 2021-017. The Administrative Order allows the courts to hold in-person court proceedings, permitting entry to family members and members of the public to the hearings. 

This new Administrative Order (AO) replaces AO No. 2021-015 regarding COVID-19 health precautions and restrictions in court facilities. The statewide court health emergency plan has now entered phase III, which allows a return to normal court operations. With courtrooms now fully open to the public, audio recordings of court proceedings will no longer be available online. 

The intent of this order is for Cochise County Courts to be fully open to the public, with reasonable accommodations made for individuals who want to observe health-related precautions. 

“We continue to encourage non-vaccinated individuals to wear a face covering and socially distance within the court facilities,” says Associate Court Administrator Niltza Flores. “Due to in-person proceedings now being available, we will no longer be posting digital recordings on YouTube as of July 23, 2021.”

Court employees, participants and visitors who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear a mask or other face coverings while visiting the facilities. Appropriate signage of the policy is displayed and visible at entrances of each court facility. 

For more information on current mask and social distancing guidelines for court facilities, please reference the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 2021-77. You may view the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 2021-017 on the Cochise County Court Services website.