ORLANDO, Fla. — Getting anything done at the Orange County courthouse could soon take longer.

Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell announced Thursday she’s going to have to furlough hundreds of workers.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, much of what usually happens at the courthouse hasn’t been happening. But beginning in mid-August, the courthouse will be closed on Fridays, because Fridays are the days many of those workers will have to furlough.

The court clerk’s office by law can’t have a rainy day fund or financial reserves.

The office operates off of a court costs and fees, and since those are down by nearly $4 million this year, the clerk had to make cuts. So she’s furloughing each of the approximately 420 court workers for one day a week — and the clerk will be a part of that furlough.

“It’s unfortunate, and I’m concerned about my employees, and they have their own situations, so no one wants to be in this situation,” Russell said.

When it comes to domestic violence orders, eviction proceedings, and adoptions, Russell says emergency situations will still be processed, but people dealing with non-emergency situations may still face delays as it will take longer for the court clerk’s office to process paperwork.

Russell says she’s reaching out to officials at the state and local level to get relief funding. If that funding comes through, it could shorten the length of the furloughs. If that relief funding doesn’t come through, the furloughs will force the clerk’s office to close beginning Friday, August 14, and every Friday until October 2 if other funding doesn’t come through.

Russell says the court’s new fiscal year begins October 1, so the office’s budget situation will be reevaluated at that time.