Courts in Winston-Salem continue to move forward with evictions. This comes after a national moratorium was issued on evictions designed to halt them for reasons of non-payment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered the moratorium in early September to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus.
To be eligible for the eviction protection, tenants must meet certain financial and employment criteria.
Renters must also sign a sworn affidavit confirming the criteria applies to them, under penalty of perjury.
In an email obtained by WFDD, Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court Renita Thompkins Linville says that the court's position is that the clerk does not have judicial authority to determine whether a tenant is a “covered person” under the CDC order. And she says she is simply carrying out her duty.
WFDD has reached out to the office of Linville and has not yet received comment.
Court dockets show that eviction hearings have certainly continued — as many as 47 in one day.
An analysis by the UNC School of Government on the CDC order finds there is still much to be understood about how it works, and that judicial officials may have some flexibility in terms of interpretation.
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