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Courthouse reopens to walk-in traffic

Monday, March 1, 2021
By JARED JERNAGAN, Editor

With the coronavirus metrics improving in Putnam County and around the state, the Putnam County Courthouse is now reopen to walk-in traffic.

The Putnam County Commissioners made the decision to reopen the courthouse Monday morning, having limited courthouse access to appointments only since Nov. 30.

Citing the Indiana Supreme Court decision to resume in-person court hearings statewide, Commissioner Tom Helmer said he believed it was time.

“Now that the courts are back open, I think it’s time,” Helmer said. “Still require the masks.”

After some discussion, the Commissioners chose to no longer limit access to the courthouse. Appointments will no longer be required. All first-floor doors will again be unlocked, and there will be no temperature checks to enter.

However, masks are still required.

“Is someone going to be downstairs watching for that?” County Councilman Phil Gick asked. “You don’t need each office having to enforce that.”

The plan is to still have a courthouse security officer on the first floor, enforcing the mask policy upon entry.

The proposal received the unanimous approval of Commissioners David Berry, Rick Woodall and Helmer.

“This in no way, shape or form touches the masks policy,” Woodall said. “That stays in place.”

Putnam County recently returned to the yellow advisory level of COVID-19 metrics, with the most recent numbers from the Indiana State Department of Health showing a 4.25 percent seven-day positivity rate and 117 weekly cases per 100,00 residents.

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    So close...

    Will the Commissioners, and the security officer, recognize that there are state-level exemptions for the mask mandate?

    If I have a court hearing or jury duty, will I be prevented from being present b/c of illogical and over-reaching mask mandates?

    Will the courts accept my state-level exemption and the county-level refusal of entry as a valid reason for not being there?

    Per the CDC, exposure is only considered when being within 6ft of someone for more than 15 minutes consecutively... if someone has to pay child support it takes less than 15 minutes. Nevermind the plastic barriers up in the clerks office. Or will they be forced to be delinquent in child support for the sake of coddling irrational fears?

    When the opportunity arose to make the right turn, the Commissioners turned left.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Tue, Mar 2, 2021, at 9:29 AM

  • If today's society had been tasked with what those in the 1940's were, I would be typing this in German right now. That is rather sad to think about.

    -- Posted by Koios on Tue, Mar 2, 2021, at 9:47 AM

  • No matter how long you are in the courthouse it is their rules so follow them. Should be no debating any time limits.

    -- Posted by Nit on Tue, Mar 2, 2021, at 12:10 PM
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    Nit - I would be inclined to agree if it were a private business.

    However, it is a public building and should be open to the public with few/no restrictions and where exemptions have been stated by the governor, they should be accepted.

    I am never compelled to go to Walmart. I can be compelled to go to the courthouse.

    As for the time limits - the point is, if the CDC (who seems to be the arbiter of all things science in re: COVID) says that "exposure" is only when within 6ft for 15 minutes (or more) consecutively... then logic dictates that if I am in within 6 feet of anyone for less than 15 minutes I am not exposing anyone to the potential for COVID even while not wearing a mask.

    Once you add in the plastic barriers put up in the offices, there is no need for most customers/patrons/citizens to wear a mask.

    If you wish to make the employees wear a mask, that is fine. That would fall in line with the prerogative of the County Commissioners and/or the specific office-holders for whom the employees work.

    It is, in effect, the way an executive order works.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Tue, Mar 2, 2021, at 1:01 PM
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