General Guidelines

General Guidelines for Courtroom Behavior

To preserve respect for the Court, please follow the below guidelines while in the courtroom:

• Arrive early
• Turn cell phones off before entering the courtroom
• Do not enter, leave and re-enter the courtroom multiple times
• Do not run, stomp or slam doors
• Children who are loud or disruptive must be taken out of the courtroom by someone who accompanied you
• Do not chew gum, tobacco or "dip"
• Newspapers are not allowed in the courtroom
• Go to the podium when your case is called
• Address judges as "your honor"
• Do not approach the judge's bench without permission
• Speak only when directed or given permission to do so
• Do not interrupt
• Do not argue, especially with the judge
• Be brief and to the point when answering questions
• Only answer the question asked and then stop speaking
• Do not use slang