The Use of Technology in Bankruptcy Law: Hurricane Sandy Still Affecting NY Bankruptcy Courts
The devastation, created by Hurricane Sandy, has crippled the entire Northeast. Subsequently, the damage has caused nearly all residents and business owners to establish a new standard of normalcy when it comes to their daily routines. Due to Sandy’s wrath, bankruptcy courts based in Manhattan are facing their worst crisis since the acts of terrorism on 9/11. Because Lower Manhattan is essentially paralyzed, both judges and lawyers are searching for available courtrooms so they are able to hold hearings as well as resolve cases that are already in progress.
Manhattan is home to the U.S Bankruptcy Court building – considered by many as the country’s headquarters for bankruptcy cases. Due to the destruction in Lower Manhattan, the operational situation is extremely dire to say the least. For many weeks, some courtrooms were closed, while those running were in a limited operational state. The courtrooms that were open lacked the necessities such as Internet, power, and telephone service. It went as far to note that judges were hosting court cases, dimly lit up by emergency lanterns; some cases were held with no lights at all. Many times, those who were giving testimony, had to repeat it, as there was no recording software available for use. With all of these interferences, court was taking longer and the whole process was becoming less effective, if anything.
Because of these factors, it was recently approved that judges were allowed to go outside their traditional district in New York to hold hearings elsewhere – this was an effort made to reduce continual disruption in the court process. Judges are utilizing to courthouses that remained open in the es file explorer apk storm, to continue already started bankruptcy proceedings, as an attempt to downplay disruptions. Despite these efforts, it still remains extremely difficult to run a fully operational courthouse. The widespread transportation crisis is making it impossible for employees, jurors, and even witnesses to get to court.
With all of these obstacles, bankruptcy professionals are coming up with unique alternatives to assist with keeping cases on route. Through using technology and good rational, cases are being kept alive. Orders have arrived online even while courtroom doors are closed. Telephonic hearings are being used in order to allow key settlements to be resulted. Bankruptcy attorneys are banding together to make sure that collectively, their cases do not falter as a result of Sandy. Firms that generally do not work together or lack a partnership are opening their doors to firms that have been displaced as a result of the natural disaster. These outpourings of assistance are just a testament to the community of lawyers working to tirelessly continue their jobs, despite the obstacles at hand, to ultimately be successful in their ventures.
