People rally outside of 36th District Court to join with Detroit Eviction Defense to protest evictions on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. - Rodney Coleman-Robinson, Detroit Free Press/Detroit Free Press/TNS
DETROIT — Nia Fitzpatrick’s son normally uses his school-issued laptop to attend virtual kindergarten. Earlier this month, she borrowed it for another reason: to log into Zoom eviction court. A nursing home assistant out of work because she contracted COVID-19, Fitzpatrick was trying to check in for court because she was behind on the rent and desperate to keep her Detroit home. Today, the escalating pandemic is delaying her court case, giving Fitzpatrick a reprieve. But the stress of not knowing where her family could be sleeping in the coming months is overwhelming. “It’s wintertime,” said F...
