Many federal courts ease mask requirements; judges often retain discretion in their courtrooms

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Many federal courts ease mask requirements;…

Judiciary Many federal courts ease mask requirements; judges often retain discretion in their courtrooms

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 11, 2022, 10:04 am CST

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More than a dozen federal courts have eased or dropped mask requirements since the beginning of March.

Reuters has the story. Federal courts that are relaxing or dropping mask requirements include:

• The District of Connecticut

• The Western District and the Eastern District of Missouri

• The Eastern District of Wisconsin

• All three districts in Pennsylvania

• The Middle District of Florida

• The District of Kansas

• The Northern District of Indiana

• The Eastern District of Oklahoma

• The District of Massachusetts

• The Eastern District of Virginia

• The Western District of Washington

Many courts that are easing requirements still allow judges to set mask requirements in their own courtrooms.

Holdouts still requiring masks include the Southern District of New York, which requires N95 or KN95 masks, and the District of Washington, D.C.

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