The Civil and Carnahan Court Houses are closed to anyone who is not 22nd Judicial Circuit staff. You need an employee badge to gain entry.
The only exception is if you have a court order. So, if you have a in-person hearing set, like a bond hearing in Division 16B, before you go you need to obtain a court access order that will allow you in the building. No court order, no admittance. All cases presently set in Division 25 and 26 will be continued automatically. If it’s a situation where you need to appear, you need to contact the judge to get an access order.
I have been in contact via email with Presiding Judge Burlison. He’s been very responsive to our concerns and questions. Criminal Docket Controller, Dawn Allen, is also a great resource for anyone having questions.
On a side note, the COVID-19 emergency has most criminal defense attorneys working from home. Only some offices remain open. Some other criminal defense firms have had firings, lay-offs, etc. My office (Niehoff & Hufty, LLC.) is open but client access is by appointment only. We swab everything down daily — and after each visit — with disinfectant, keep contact to a minimum, etc. And we continue to visit our confined clients.