FLAGSTAFF/WILLIAMS — Among the many consequences of COVID-19 are its effects on the criminal justice system, including the safety of participants who appear in court.

Flagstaff and Williams Justice Courts are piloting a procedure that allows criminal defendants the opportunity and choice to appear by remote online methods while still being aware of all their legal rights and protections along the way.

Known as Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), the Flagstaff and William Justice Courts are pilot courts for the new state-designed system. ODR allows defendants cited for criminal traffic or other misdemeanors to receive a full advisory of their legal rights when charged with a misdemeanor offense, including the right to be presumed innocent, the right to an attorney, the right to a fair and impartial trial, have a “not guilty” plea entered and begin the process of pretrial discovery and discussion with the prosecutors, all on a remote basis.

With ODR’s emphasis on full disclosure as to what a criminal misdemeanor entails, defendants have the ability to opt into this alternate procedure and resolve the case more efficiently and promptly. To learn more about ODR or to search for a case and register, visit courtinnovations.com/AZ301.