Federal courthouses in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands closed in wake of Hurricane Maria

The difficult and tragic hurricane season, which closed Texas’s federal and state courthouses last month, has now done the same to the courthouses in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  (A courthouse in Florida remains closed in the wake of Hurricane Irma as well.)  In light of the terrible destruction on those islands, the closing of a courthouse by itself is bottom-page news. But in times of crisis, courthouses are needed — both practically and symbolically — to assure citizens that the rule of law remains in place. Here’s hoping that the residents of all affected areas find strength, rebuild, and restore their communities.