The City of Topeka will reopen its buildings to the public on May 18th. Social distancing and other restrictive measures will be enforced in all city buildings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Plexiglas partitions have been installed in the City Express Payment Center at the Holliday Building and at the clerk’s office in the Municipal Court to help lessen person to person contact. Anyone who needs to meet with staff in person can meet in the first floor conference room of City Hall or the Holliday building. Everyone who does business in city buildings is strongly encouraged to wear a mask at all times while in the building.
The Municipal Court will open to the public on May 18th. Municipal Court hours of operation will be 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. In order to comply with guidelines from the State of Kansas, Shawnee County Health Authority, and the Kansas Supreme Court, restrictions are being put into place for visitors to the courthouse and probation. Social distancing and other restrictive measures will be enforced for the safety of the staff and the public. All persons entering the courthouse or probation offices are strongly encouraged to wear masks at all times while in the building.
- Defendants are encouraged to check the status of their case on public access at: https://court.topeka.org/fullcourtweb/start.do
- Defendants can call the Municipal Court to check the status of their case 785-368-3776.
- The number of individuals in the courthouse at one time will be limited and is dependent upon which phase Shawnee County is in each week. This means that at certain times, it may be a “one-in, one-out” situation and persons will be required to wait outside the courthouse before being allowed in to conduct their business.
- Only those with court business/probation appointments will be permitted in the building. Defendants should not bring family/friends/observers to their court hearings and should make all attempts for alternate childcare arrangements.
- To maintain appropriate social distancing in the courtrooms, defendants may be required to wait in the lobby or outside the building during larger dockets.
- Defendants who report or are displaying symptoms of illness, are caring for someone ill, or are in a high risk category, should contact their attorney to request a continuance. Defendants without an attorney may file a motion for continuance by email or fax. Defendants should expect to attend their court hearing until the continuance has been granted by a judge.
- Defendants are advised:
- Anyone entering the courthouse or probation office will be denied access as follows:
- If the person has been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with, or is suspected to have had, COVID-19 within the last 14 days;
- If the person is experiencing two or more of the COVID-19 symptoms identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; or
- If the person has traveled within the previous 14 days to an area subject to COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Anyone denied access to the courthouse for the above reasons may contact the clerk’s office at 785-368-3776 for instructions on rescheduling or otherwise completing their court business.
- Anyone entering the courthouse or probation office will be denied access as follows: