News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Courts are further opening up with eviction notices going out to residents on Thursday.
Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer Wilkerson said in-person proceedings are currently at 50 percent capacity. Wilkerson said the next changes are that people will start getting eviction notices April 1 and jury trials will resume in May.
“What we are telling you is, yes courts are open, they are functioning. You do need to attend and appear for your court date,” Wilkerson said. “If you have difficulty you should contact your attorney and talk with them if you have medical issues or concerns.”
Wilkerson said residents need to be aware eviction notices could come quickly with March 31 slated to end the postponement.
“There also was a moratorium on evictions had been in place and that has now been lifted,” Wilkerson said. “So April 1, folks could start seeing some evictions take place as early as that week.”
Wilkerson said that judges submitted their plan to the Tennessee Supreme Court for how to reopen and hear cases moving forward. She said the circuit court will work to keep in-person traffic flowing with a large backlog of cases.
“We have to increase the amount of time and effort we spend on managing the traffic flow coming in,” Wilkerson said. “We will obviously want to socially distance folks, keep them in an area that would be safe for them.”
The Putnam County Circuit Court Clerks Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
