On March 19, 2020, the District Court entered an Amended Order providing for the continued operation of the federal courts in the Central District of Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Order provides that all civil hearings must be conducted telephonically or by video conference. On April 30, 2020, a Second Amended Order was entered by the District Court extending the terms of the Amended Order. The Second Amended Order is effective immediately and remains in full force and effect until May 30, 2020, at which time it may be extended. View the District Court's Second Amended Order here.
The Bankruptcy Court will continue to operate in full compliance with the District Court orders. All currently-scheduled in-court hearings through May 30, 2020, will be conducted telephonically. No one may attend previously-scheduled in-court hearings in person.
Attorneys are requested to notify their clients of these changes so that the clients do not attempt to attend hearings in person. Additionally, the assistance of attorneys involved in cases with active pro se parties in notifying the pro se parties of these changes is requested. The Clerk will make every effort to notify pro se parties of the changes, but attorneys may have phone numbers or email addresses that the Clerk does not have, and their assistance in getting the notice to pro se parties would be appreciated.
The District Court Order also closes the Springfield and Urbana courthouses to the public. Bankruptcy Court staff continues to work, however, and documents filed through the Court's ECF system will be processed normally and without delay. Staff is available to provide assistance telephonically at the numbers listed on this website.
Filers who do not have access to the Court's electronic filing system are encouraged to submit their filings through the mail. Documents and filing fees should be mailed to the appropriate divisional office at one of the addresses listed on this website. Additionally, drop boxes will be located inside the doors of the courthouses and documents may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at those locations. When dropping documents off at a drop box, please make sure to do the following:
1. Place all documents and filing fees in a sealed envelope clearly addressed to the Bankruptcy Court. The District Court and Bankruptcy Court will be sharing drop boxes, so clearly addressing envelopes intended for delivery to the Bankruptcy Court will avoid confusion. Do not drop loose papers or checks into the drop box.
2. If a filing fee is due with your documents, include the fee in the form of a money order or cashier's check payable to the Clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Do not include cash or a personal check with your filing.
3. Regardless of what information is included on the documents to be filed, please include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address with the filing. This will allow us to contact you if further information is needed.