Courts Closed Along East Coast Due to Frightening Hurricane Sandy

Along with multiple businesses and offices, a variety of legal operations across the East Coast have also decided to close their doors this week, while attempting to ride out Hurricane Sandy.

In New York City, the hurricane has shut down city offices, courthouses, schools, and the public transportation system, leaving many people with no way of traveling further than their front doors. With the exception of arraignments and emergency applications, the courts in all five boroughs, as well as neighboring counties, are closed. Along with state courthouses shutting their doors, federal courthouses in Brooklyn, Long Island, and areas of New Jersey, also chose to wait out the weather while keeping their doors closed.

New York and New Jersey, however, were just a fraction of the areas affected by the storm in these last few days. With government agencies and buildings closing from Florida to Maine, this storm has placed the judicial branches, as well as other forms of government and businesses, at a standstill until they can resume normal operations.

With flooding, power outages, and large amounts of snow falling over the area, it is no surprise that the effects of the weather on the courthouses across the East Coast may have an impact for weeks to come. With at least one day, two in some areas, being lost for the processing, applying, retrieving, and submitting of court documents, many businesses, citizens, and officials will need to wait for the system to catch up to normal turnaround and processing times.

Rest assured, Backgrounds Online will keep you informed of any additional delays and we will be working to process your background checks as quickly as possible.