Ogle County court proceedings on pause after COVID-19 'breakout'

OREGON – Most court proceedings will not take place for the next 2 weeks at the Ogle County Judicial Center, after employees working in two offices tested positive for coronavirus.

According to a weekend news release from 15th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Robert T. Hanson, the State's Attorney's Office and the Probation Office both reported a "COVID-19 breakout."

As a result, the Judicial Center, 105 S. Fifth St., will remain closed until Dec. 7 "to ensure we control the spread and that the public is not exposed to the virus by Ogle County/Court employees," Hanson said in the release.

Criminal bond hearings, and emergency matters regarding petitions for orders of protection, orders for stalking and no contact, juvenile matters and bonafide emergency child support and parenting time and decision-making disputes will move ahead with a limited staff, the release said.

All other cases scheduled to take place before Dec. 7 will be rescheduled.

Hanson did not specify when or how many county or court employees tested positive.

As of Sunday, Ogle County has reported 2,567 confirmed coronavirus cases and 25 deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.