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Federal Courts Closed by Hurricane Katrina

Federal courts in several southern states were forced to suspend operations due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and an initial review indicates that some courthouses will be unusable for weeks or months.

Most notably, three federal courthouses in New Orleans had to be evacuated, including the John Minor Wisdom U.S. Courthouse – primary home of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Also closed in New Orleans are the courthouse that is home to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Hale Boggs Federal Building, which houses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Court operations also were interrupted at federal courthouses in Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Fla.

Some court web sites have been inaccessible. For those that are, the latest information for that court will be posted. Individual court web sites are accessible through www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/index.cfm.

This item will be updated as soon as possible.