Remote Court Appearances

You are not required to appear over video. All hearings and trials are available in person.

The rules for conduct on the remote platform are quite similar to those appearing in court. Because technology is involved, some additional guidance is provided below.  Failure to follow appropriate courtroom decorum may result in a warning and/or removal from the remote platform.  With very few exceptions, all proceedings are available in person in the courthouse. 

Before the Hearing

• Connect to the Zoom line five minutes before your hearing is set to start.
• Either use an appropriate virtual background or be situated in a location with an appropriate background.  Avoid backgrounds/virtual backgrounds that are distracting. Also avoid backlighting, such as being in front of a window.
• Try to be in a place that is quiet and without distractions.
• Dress and act in a way that is appropriate for court proceedings.  Do not eat, smoke, chew gum, or drink anything distracting or inappropriate for court.  (Water, coffee cups, and mugs are acceptable as long as they do not contain alcoholic beverages.)
• Identify yourself in Zoom with your actual name. 

 During the Hearing

• Mute your phone or computer while you wait for your case to be called.
• Do not announce yourself when you appear.  Wait to be called by the judge during roll call or when your case is called to be heard. 
• Only one person may speak at a time to ensure that everyone can be heard.
• Speak clearly and at a slightly slower pace than you would normally speak.
• Consider the use of a headset or earbuds if noise or hearing is a concern.
• Do not move unnecessarily around the space with the camera on.  
• The use of the chat function is disabled.  
• Do not interrupt the proceedings.  If you are waiting for your case to be called or are unsure if you are in the right space, wait for a case to end before inquiring if you are on the correct Zoom line. 
  
  

Yes, it is free for you to access video court.

All you need is computer with video capability, a tablet, or a smartphone.  

• Computer/laptop: Go to the internet and either enter the link for the hearing (see the
  Daily Court Schedule) or go to Zoom.us and follow the prompts to install Zoom.  
• Apple Tablets or Smartphones: Go to your AppStore and download Zoom for iOS.  
• Android Tablets or Smartphones: Go to GooglePlay and download Zoom for Android.   

Once you are in Zoom, you will need to enter the Meeting ID and Password for your court
session.  You will then be guided through a quick and simple process to join the session.

Just like coming to physical court, you should connect to video court before the hearing is
scheduled to start.  

If it’s your first time connecting into video court, you should start the process of joining the
session at least ten minutes before court is scheduled to begin. This will give you time to get
used to the process before court starts.

Just stay on the line until the judge starts court.

If you are late for court, just join the session and stay on mute until your case is called. Just like
you wouldn’t announce yourself if you were late for court in person, you should not interrupt
other hearings because you were late.