When Covid-19 vaccines began arriving at hospitals late last year, most agreed that healthcare workers should be the first to get the potentially life-saving jabs, and data about the higher mortality rate among older adults made seniors the obvious next priority group.
But as state and county officials begin broadening the list of people eligible for the vaccine, prioritization has gotten more murky—and controversial—as leaders from just about every industry in which workers can't stay home make a case for being next in line.
The latest is Santa Clara County Superior Court Presiding Judge Theodore Zayner, who last week asked County Executive Jeff Smith to bump court workers up on the list of people eligible to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
His two-page letter, sent Feb. 19, also urged Smith to allow court workers, including judicial officers and county justice partners, to be get on an “on call” list for vaccines that become available on short notice and need to be used before they expire.
Prioritizing those workers “would recognize the essential nature of the court’s work and those who have continued to work courageously and diligently in our courts everyday during the pandemic,” Zayner wrote.
Santa Clara County Superior Court has worked with health officials to implement wholesale changes to its operations and drastically reduce the number of people that walk through their buildings. Even so, court workers often come into contact with people who would be considered “vulnerable,” Zayner said, including those who can't quarantine or follow best practices to reduce the spread of the virus.
Other presiding judges across the country have made similar requests of their local leadership, each noting the high foot-traffic through the courts. Some have had luck in getting a higher prioritization, including court workers in Alameda County, where Zayner said workers are already being offered doses.
County officials did not respond to a request for comment on the letter this week. But already health officials have started expanding access to the vaccine, following a Feb. 15 announcement that more than half of residents 75 years and older, as well as 43.7 percent of those aged 65 and older have received at least one dose of the coveted vaccine.
With that progress in tow, officials said teachers and workers in the food and agriculture industries will be eligible for the vaccine in Santa Clara County starting Sunday. As of March 15, people between 16 and 65 years old with at least one severe health condition will be eligible for a vaccination in the county.
A friend of mine got his first vaccination today. I asked why a young tech worker was able to get it, and he said he registered as an UberEats delivery person, which qualified him as an essential worker, and he got the vaccine with no questions asked. He just had to show his Uber account on his phone. He has never made a delivery, and has no plans to, and told me I should do the same. This is pretty crazy.
Poor planning and poor leadership…..
Target, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and countless other “Big Businesses” are open just not our Justice System in Santa Clara County.
Reporters, Court Watchers, Family Members, ADA Support, Pro Per/Se (Self Represented) litigants, and Advocates have been denied access to our justice system that was already on “Life Support” prior to COVID19.
We are currently in the process of pulling some really illegal maneuvers to keep everyone in the Santa Clara County Dragnet rather then drop many cases that are not worth our time / money. This shady process of “Kicking the Legal Can” is going to back fire and our courts are going to be on a “BIG TIME OUT”
If you are Homeless or Mentally ill your in for a real treat….. your cases are being fast tracked into ole Pirate Judge (Manley’s) court room for his so-called team to try to place you in services that do not exist (Just look at our streets) But they are sure good at billing these poor people out for services that will never help them. This dragnet destroys our community and put more and more people out on the streets that should be getting care in a dignified facility. Judge Manley’s hustle is like a “New Gas Station” with all the bells and whistles just no gas to pump.
These people are denied their due process rights by the courts and the PDO/ IDO/ DA / County is basically baiting defendants into a system that has manufactured its own version of “Laura’s Law” This Scam is known to put a defendant on probation for up to ten years?? Bill…..Bill…..Bill…. speak up?? Jail…Jail….Jail…. This SCAM is also used to silence the community as far as “Free Speech Rights” and will peg you as “Nuts” just for blowing the whistle on their corruption.
The hardest thing to watch in Manley’s court room is when the defendant pretty much sinks their own ship by not talking thru their attorney. There is also no court reporter and this in its self should throw up some major red flags…. Try getting one of these Mental Health attorneys to return a phone call…. Hahahahaha…. Not going to happen…. Pow Wow with your attorney prior to court??…. Also not going to happen…. ADA support?? Good luck with that…. Ole “One-Eyed Willy” Judge will make sure to have you dragged out of his court room and arrested just for trying to advocate for his next victim.
Do you homework folks and understand that many protections that where in place to protect your rights have been set aside by The Judicial Council, Governor Gavin Newsom, and The California Supreme Court. Your local politicians have also taken a page from that play book with County Ordinances and City Municipal Codes that are meant to keep the public far away.
Just like the Anti-Democratic City of San Jose our Superior Court in Santa Clara County jumped ship on the public when COVID hit… pretty much everyone went on a ZOOM vacation with the same pay check with a closed door to the public.
The “In Crowd” was also given full access to the Clerk’s office records system when the public was turned away by the Sheriff Deputies manning the security station.
The “In Crowd” consists of Researchers, Skip Tracers, Back Round Checkers, Investigators, and whatever other side biz that had pull from the top to be allowed into those files…. Just not you!!!
And you can only imagine what type of tricks the Court will use when these eviction moratoriums expire.
Ole Judge Carol Overton likes to “Rubber Stamp” all those cases and let people fry. Like I said…. Do your homework folks…
You might be next…