Professionalism: All parties and their witnesses are expected to act and speak in a respectful manner.

Courtroom Decorum and Dress: All parties are expected to wear appropriate attire in the courtroom. Do not wear shorts, muscle shirts, crop tops, etc. Parties who are not dressed appropriately may have their case rescheduled for another day in order to allow them to come to court in proper attire.

Children: Children are not permitted in the courtroom. Do not bring your children to court. A specific date and time will be scheduled by the court for an in camera interview of the children, if necessary. Please note that it is a violation of law for anyone to obtain from a child a recorded (a letter, affidavit, tape recording, etc.) statement of a child’s wishes and concerns regarding the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.

Continuances: You may request a continuance in advance of your hearing/trial date for good cause. A continuance must be requested at least 7 days prior to your hearing or trial date. If you are requesting a continuance due to illness or a work obligation, you will need to provide a written excuse from the doctor, hospital or employer setting forth why you cannot attend court as scheduled. You MUST contact the other parties in the case (or their attorneys if represented) and obtain their agreement in order continue the case. If you are requesting a continuance, it is your responsibility to come to court prior to the hearing and fill out the Motion and Entry for continuance form and provide to my court officer. 

Court officer: My court officer's telephone number is 614-525-8887.

Pro se litigants (self-represented parties): You may choose to act as your own attorney. The court will not appoint counsel for you, except if you are accused of contempt and meet income guidelines for appointed counsel. If you act as your own attorney, it is your responsibility to become familiar with the law, procedures and local rules of our court. Court staff, the magistrate and the clerk’s office cannot give you legal advice on how to proceed with your case. If the other party is represented by counsel and you are representing yourself, you have the responsibility to communicate directly with the other attorney about your case.   

Hearing: On the date of your hearing/trial, you must check in with my court officer inside the courtroom. Upon check in, please let the court officer know if you are represented by counsel. It is your responsibility to appear on time for your hearing/trial. If you are running late, you must contact my court officer to notify her of your lateness. Failure to appear timely without contacting the court will result in the dismissal of your complaint or motion without further notice. 

Service: It is your responsibility to ensure that all parties in your case are properly served with your complaint, motion or other filed documents at least 7 days prior to the scheduled hearing date. You should check service in your case by contacting the Franklin County Cler of Court Juvenile Division to verify that your complaint, motion or other documents have been served. Without proper service on all parties in your case, the court will not go forward on the scheduled hearing date and will be continued to permit you to obtain proper service. 

Cell phones: The use of cell phones for any purpose is prohibited in the courtroom.

Witnesses: You may subpoena witnesses you wish to be present and give testimony at your hearing or trial. Subpoenas are available at the Franklin County Clerk of Court Juvenile Division, 373 South High Street, 4th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215. An Affidavit from a witness will not be accepted as proper evidence. The witness must appear in court and testify in court for his/her testimony to be considered. Witnesses are not permitted in the Courtroom during pretrial discussions or proceedings.