Q: What to do if I woke up sick Sunday but have a court pre-trial hearing tomorrow on Monday afternoon? (Covid)
Recently exposed to someone who had Covid. I woke up today sick, fever sore throat, but have court tomorrow. Today is Sunday so I won’t be able to contact the court till tomorrow - and my hearing is at 130pm the same day. It’s a pre-trial for a traffic ticket I chose to dispute. How easily will I get a new court date, or what should I expect? Or should I just show up anyway? I don’t want to get others sick. But can’t just miss court. Courthouse is 3 hours away from me. I took a test today and was negative Covid - but it might be too early for an accurate result. Any insight? Is there a form to fill out and file or do I just call the clerk? It’s a simple ticket and I am pro-se. Just scared because it’s Sunday and I am giving same day notice.
A: What action you should take depends on whether you're well enough to appear. "Don't want to get others sick" is not an issue because you can simply wear a mask. If you're not well enough to make the trip, the best thing you can do is, first, try to reach a traffic ticket attorney in the area of that court. You may be able to immediately hire one who can appear on your behalf and otherwise take appropriate action. See if you can find one with a 24/7 answering service or website chat, or leave a voicemail message today. Otherwise, call the Clerk of Court as soon as they open Monday and explain the situation. Though they are not permitted to give you legal advice, they may be able to guide you regarding requesting a continuance of the hearing.
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