CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland Municipal Court judge has for two days held court hearings despite a directive from her court’s administrative judge to postpone all court hearings for defendants who are not currently in jail as a means to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Judge Pinkey Carr, a former prosecutor in her ninth year on the bench, has held court hearings for defendants who are free after posting bond, despite an announcement on the court’s website declaring that all such hearings scheduled between Monday and April 3 would be rescheduled, a court spokesman told cleveland.com in response to questions posed on Tuesday.

Carr has also issued arrest warrants for defendants who heeded the court’s website and did not show up to court.

Court spokesman Ed Ferenc said Tuesday that Administrative and Presiding Judge Michelle Earley was aware that Carr held court hearings on Monday and Tuesday that were not in accordance with the administrative order Earley issued Friday. All of the court’s judges got a copy of the order, Ferenc said. He also said that Carr issued arrest warrants this week, but did not know how many.

Carr’s courtroom referred cleveland.com to Ferenc for comment. Ferenc then referred cleveland.com back to Carr.

Carr and her bailiff, David Morrow, did not respond to voicemails seeking comment.

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association CEO Rebecca Ruppert McMahon said in a Tuesday statement to cleveland.com that the organization is “greatly concerned by the action of any judge that keeps his or her court open for nonessential matters during this time of national emergency.”

Doing so, McMahon said, ignores recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health and other medical and health agencies on social distancing and avoiding crowds of 10 or more people.

“This is not about judicial independence," McMahon said. "This is about putting the lives of plaintiffs, defendants, attorneys, police officers and courtroom employees in jeopardy, as well the lives of their families and friends.”

The court announced Earley’s administrative order in a Friday news release, saying she acted “in an effort to prevent ‘community spread’ of the coronavirus and for the safety of the people who appear before the General Division of the Court and our employees."

A banner alert atop the court’s website declared in red type that “there will be no cases scheduled at the Cleveland Municipal Court from Monday March 16, 2020 to Friday April 3, 2020. All cases previously scheduled during this period will be rescheduled.”

The Cleveland Municipal Court website on Tuesday told the public that court hearings had been postponed amid the coronavirus.

Carr’s flouting of the order came as other courthouse officials have scrambled to curtail court hearings and the number of visitors to the Justice Center.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan declared a judicial emergency on Monday, postponed most jury trials, evictions and sheriff’s sales for 60 days and suggested that all cases where the defendants are on bail should be postponed so officials can focus on defendants who are behind bars.

Fears over the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus also led Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s cabinet to take the unprecedented move late Monday of ordering polls for Tuesday’s primary election closed.

Cuyahoga County Public Defender Mark Stanton, whose office has been among those leading the local criminal justice system’s response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak, declined to comment on whether Carr was violating the order.

“Judge Earley and the vast majority of the municipal court’s judges have been highly cooperative with this issue,” Stanton said.

Read recent stories

Courts, attorneys reduce Cuyahoga County Jail population by 300 inmates in ‘Herculean’ eight days prompted by coronavirus

Cuyahoga County’s chief judge declares ‘judicial emergency,' announces further restrictions to fight spread of novel coronavirus

MetroHealth, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court identify 325 jail inmates most at-risk of serious illness in event of a coronavirus outbreak

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association calls for temporary halt to all 'non-essential’ court hearings amid coronavirus concerns

Federal courts in northern Ohio postpone jury trials, limit grand jury meetings in response to coronavirus

Cuyahoga County Probate Court suspends the issuance of marriage licenses

Sheriff asks suburban police to stop sending people accused of misdemeanors to Cuyahoga County Jail amid coronavirus