{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-11-745","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 11-745","heading":"Emergency authority to toll or delay proceedings.","body":"(a)\n(1)\nIn the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation requiring the closure of the Court of Appeals or rendering it impracticable for the United States or District of Columbia Government or a class of litigants to comply with deadlines imposed by any Federal or District of Columbia law or rule that applies in the Court of Appeals, the chief judge of the Court of Appeals may exercise emergency authority in accordance with this section.\n(2)\nThe chief judge may enter such order or orders as may be appropriate to delay, toll, or otherwise grant relief from the time deadlines imposed by otherwise applicable laws or rules for such period as may be appropriate for any class of cases pending or thereafter filed in the Court of Appeals.\n(3)\nIf the chief judge of the Court of Appeals is absent or disabled, the authority conferred by this section may be exercised by the judge designated under section 11-706(a) or by the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration.\n(4)\nNothing in this section shall be construed to authorize suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.\n\n(b)\nThe United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or the Attorney General for the District of Columbia or the designee of either may request issuance of an order under this section, or the chief judge may act on his or her own motion.\n\n(c)\nAn order entered under this section may not toll or extend a time deadline for a period of more than 14 days, except that if the chief judge determines that an emergency situation requires additional extensions of the period during which deadlines are tolled or extended, the chief judge may, with the consent of the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, enter additional orders under this section in order to further toll or extend such time deadline.\n\n(d)\nUpon issuing an order under this section, the chief judge—\n(1)\nshall make all reasonable efforts to publicize the order, including, when possible, announcing the order on the District of Columbia Courts Web site; and\n(2)\nshall send notice of the order, including the reasons for the issuance of the order, to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives.\n\n(e)\nNot later than 180 days after the expiration of the last extension or tolling of a time period made by the order or orders relating to an emergency situation, the chief judge shall submit a brief report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration describing the orders, including—\n(2)\nthe duration of the orders;\n(3)\nthe effects of the orders on litigants; and\n(4)\nthe costs to the court resulting from the orders.\n\n(1)\nthe reasons for issuing the orders;\n\n(f)\nThe notice under subsection (d)(2) and the report under subsection (e) are not required in the case of an order that tolls or extends a time deadline for a period of less than 14 days.","path":["Title 11. Organization and Jurisdiction of the Courts. [Enacted title]","Chapter 7. District of Columbia Court of Appeals.","Subchapter III. Miscellaneous Provisions."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/11-745","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"94be101339215c4bae467e4835f47bccb98d1acda08bdfae86c98c4097cc6d6d","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-11-744","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-11-901"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}