Professionalism: All parties and their witnesses are expected to act 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, etc. Parties who are not dressed appropriately may have their case rescheduled to 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 children with you to court. A specific date and time will be scheduled by the court for bringing a child to court for an in camera interview if necessary.   It is a violation of the law for anyone to obtain from a child a recorded (a letter, affidavit, tape recording, etc.)statement of the child’s wishes and concerns regarding the allocation of parental rights. 

Continuances: You may ask for your hearing to be re-scheduled in advance for good reasons. A continuance must be requested at least 7 days in advance of the scheduled hearing date. If your reason for requesting a continuance is due to illness or a work obligation, you will need a written excuse from the doctor, hospital or employer setting forth why you can not attend court as scheduled. You MUST contact all the other parties in the case (or their attorney if they are represented by one) and get their agreement to continue to the case. It is your responsibility to come to court before the hearing and fill out the Motion and Entry for continuance form located inside my courtroom. 

Court officer: My court officer's telephone number is 614-525-5517.

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

Hearing: On the day of your hearing, upon your arrival at court, you must check in with my court officer, who is office is located inside the courtroom. Upon check in, please tell my oucrt officer if you are represented by an attorney. We will wait 45 to 60 minutes after the scheduled hearing time to allow all parties to appear before proceeding with the hearing. It is your responsibility to appear in a timely manner for your scheduled hearing time. If you are running late, you must call my court officer to notify her of your lateness. 

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

Cell phones: Use of cell phones in the courtroom is prohibited. 

Witnesses: You may subpoena witnesses you wish to be present and give testimony at the trial in your case. Subpoenas are available at the Franklin County Clerk of Court Juvenile Division at 373 S. 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 during your trial in order for their testimony to be considered. Witnesses will not be permitted to be in the courtroom during pretrial discussions.