Virtual Evictions Threaten Constitutional Rights

Across the country, eviction hearings have moved to the computer because public officials don’t want to risk exposure to sick tenants arriving for court appointments.  Lawyers have seen virtual eviction hearings that take as little as 30 seconds. Tenants often don’t have access to computers and have to dial into the hearings with their phones. Many courts only accept documentation online, and tenants who try to submit their records in-person are turned away. Many argue that tenants’ due process rights are violated by the technological and financial barriers of the eviction proceedings.