The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio notes that the number of COVID-19 cases in the State of Ohio and in the Central Ohio area is continuing to decrease. Due to the corresponding lowered risk level, please take note that, effective April 1, 2022, all hearings before the Honorable Chief Judge John E. Hoffman, Jr. and the Honorable Mina Nami Khorrami will be conducted in person. This includes any hearings that were originally noticed as virtual hearings. Hearings will be held in Courtroom A on the Fifth Floor of the United States Bankruptcy Court, 170 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215 unless otherwise ordered.

If parties wish to have their matter conducted virtually, parties may submit an appropriate request to the Court for its consideration. If the request is granted, evidentiary matters will proceed via Zoom. Non-evidentiary matters may proceed, within the Court’s discretion, either via Zoom or via telephone. Pretrial and status conferences will continue to be conducted via telephone.

If the Court grants the parties’ request to hear matters virtually, parties are directed to proceed in accordance with the respective Judge’s policies regarding virtual hearings. These policies are available at https://www.ohsb.uscourts.gov/judge-hoffman-policies-and-procedures for Chief Judge Hoffman, and at https://www.ohsb.uscourts.gov/judge-nami-khorrami-policies-and-procedures for Judge Nami Khorrami.

Procedures for conducting hearings are subject to continuing review if there is a significant change in the level of COVID-19 cases.