Back in April, California closed all eviction courts to keep people safe.

Today LA is the global epicenter of the pandemic -- but eviction courts are *open again* and conditions are incredibly dangerous.

Here’s why local leaders are fighting to shut the courts down. (thread) https://twitter.com/CourtWatchLA/status/1339984739365580800

Despite more tenant protections in place in LA during COVID-19, hundreds of evictions are still being filed every month, and the number is growing.

All eviction trials are being held in-person -- often with dozens of families in one courtroom. https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2020/12/attorneys-worry-for-clients-and-themselves-making-in-court-appearances/

Hallways at courthouses are packed. Mask rules aren’t being enforced, and jurors aren’t pre-screened.

At least 17 staff at Stanley Mosk Courthouse, where most eviction cases are held, have been diagnosed with COVID -- most in just the last few weeks. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/locations.htm#nonres-settings

Being evicted in a pandemic throws tenants into even more danger, forcing them into crowded homes and often onto the street.

And most Angelenos facing eviction are low-income people of color who have borne by far the most devastating impacts of COVID-19. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-18/la-covid-19-spread-hits-elderly-people-of-color-extra-hard

LA’s unemployment rate is in double-digits. So many people are at risk of homelessness and attempting to navigate a new set of tenant protections that are convoluted at best.

Closing eviction courts would give renters time to find help and ensure their rights aren’t violated.

Holding LA’s eviction trials in-person is a choice. Many counties in California have gone a different way.

Alameda postponed all eviction trials until the end of the state of emergency. Sacramento and Riverside Counties are holding all eviction proceedings remotely.

The decision to close eviction courts at the height of the pandemic is up to just one person: Presiding Judge of the LA Superior Court Eric Taylor.

If Judge Taylor determines it is in the public interest to shut down the courts temporarily, he could do it tomorrow.

Some of my colleagues on the City Council, led by @mridleythomas and @CD6Nury, have called for Judge Taylor to halt eviction proceedings while the pandemic rages in LA.

I'm with them. Close eviction courts until the end of the emergency period. https://twitter.com/mridleythomas/status/1341536662564687874?s=20

Tenant lawyers at @PublicCounsel, BASTA, @ednlosangeles, and more are working tirelessly to keep people housed as evictions rise.

If you are facing eviction or have questions about tenant rights, please email [email protected] or call us at 213-473-7004.