By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Given the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county, Hutch Post reached out to Reno County District Court for comment on their mask policy. The policy as of Tuesday is that vaccinated people are not required to wear masks in the courthouse, but unvaccinated people are.
Hutch Post asked Chief Judge Patty Macke Dick two questions.
1. Can the court compel someone to reveal their vaccination status?
"We can certainly ask people if they have been vaccinated, although at this time we are going with a trust system, even while knowing some folks might not be honest," Macke Dick said in an email. "There is some thought that asking for an individual’s vaccination status is a HIPAA violation which is obviously not accurate."
2. If the court obtains knowledge that someone was unvaccinated and chose not to wear a mask as a member of a jury, is there any judicial action that can be taken?
"If we learn that someone is dishonest about their status for any reason, we would ask them to leave the courthouse," Macke Dick said. "The worst consequence for those choosing not to wear masks without being vaccinated would probably be exposure to Delta Covid or living with the guilt of passing it on to another."
There has not been an order to make everyone wear masks again yet, but that may be on the table if numbers continue to rise.
"Our policy is subject to change, in that if the number of cases in Reno County starts increasing exponentially or cases are present in the court areas of the courthouse, an order may be entered for everyone in court areas to again wear masks," Macke Dick said. "We do not want people coming to court subjected to a spreader event."
Macke Dick said many vaccinated employees at the courthouse have chosen to continue wearing masks.