Northampton and Warren county courts have been closed since Tuesday, when Sandy swept through the area.
The Northampton County Courthouse has been closed since Tuesday because of Superstorm Sandy.
With courts closed this week in Northampton, Warren and Hunterdon counties following Superstorm Sandy, law enforcement officials say systems remained in place to process newly charged criminal suspects.
That said, according to authorities, the need for preliminary arraignments and first appearances was light.
“We’ve been very slow crime-wise both during the storm and even afterwards,” Bethlehem police Lt. Mark DiLuzio said. “That’s been one good point about Sandy.”
Instead of going through district court offices, closed through Friday because of the storm, the department has been under orders to have individuals arraigned at Northampton County Central Booking Center inside the prison in Easton, DiLuzio said. It’s a practice that is relatively common in Lehigh County, he said — though less so in Northampton County.“There’s always a way to get a hold of a judge,” DiLuzio said.
Efforts failed to reach Jim Onembo, county court administrator, while the Northampton County Courthouse and government offices remained closed Friday.
Lehigh County opened
its courthouse Wednesday. Court administration officials in that county
said district judge offices unable to open because of power outages were
being covered by those with electricity.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli admitted he didn’t know the exact procedure put in place in such a situation, but said he was confident that the system is working even on limited means.
“Just be assured that no criminal will go unpunished during this emergency,” Morganelli said.
Criminal court dates in the county will be postponed until the courthouse is operating again as normal, Morganelli said. Though power was restored to the Washington Street building by Friday, a decision to shutter county services for the fourth straight day had already been made.
Art Heinz, spokesman for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, said he could not speak to Northampton County’s specific plan of action but was confident the justice system was not being shelved during the widespread power outage.
“Each and every county has a plan they are able to use in case of a catastrophe,” Heinz said.
In Warren County, Prosecutor Richard Burke said there is always a judge on call for cases that demand immediate attention. He said he was unsure where proceedings would be held but said that his office wasn't notified of any arrests during in the storm. New Jersey Superior Court in Belvidere has been closed all week.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III also said he was unaware of any arrests during the time state Superior Court in Flemington was closed before reopening Friday. He said that, depending on the situation, a proceeding may be moved to another court, as long as conditions are safe to travel.
"In the case of an emergency, we're not going to put people's lives in danger," Kearns said.
Staff writer Kathryn Brenzel contributed to this report.