SPRINGFIELD — The state’s high court issued new rules last week to help courts transition to remote hearings for criminal cases as the pandemic continues to disrupt court operations statewide.Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said the order “provides guidance for our courts to address the backlog of criminal cases created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” in a news release last week.Courthouses shut their doors last March, allowing only essential matters to be held in-person and temporarily halting jury trials in …