Washington, DC (August 2011)
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake rattled over half of the US East Coast on Tuesday, including Washington, DC, leading the Federal Government, Federal and local courts, and several law firms to evacuate and close early.
The epicenter of the quake was determined to be slightly northwest of Richmond, VA, and the brunt of its force was felt all throughout the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC area. All Federal courts remained closed for the day, but are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday morning. "At least two trials underway in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia were interrupted...". The earthquake was said to not have disrupted any hearings on Capitol Hill, as activity was already at a minimum due to August recess. Although some law firms decided to shut down for the remainder of the day, most chose to remain open.
Local police have reported some damage to buildings in different parts of the city, including the National Cathedral. A DC fire department spokesman stated that there were many injuries, but none of which were severe.
The title and content of this article were cited from The Blog of LegalTimes.
Source: http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/08/earthquake-shakes-dc-courts-and-law-firms-shut-down-for-the-day.html
