Professionalism
All parties and their witnesses are expected to act in a respectful manner.
Courtroom decorum and dress
The following will not be permitted in the courtroom: revealing clothing; crop tops/ sports bra; shorts; ear buds; pajamas; slippers. 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 seven 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 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.
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.
Hearings
On the day of your hearing, please check in with my court officer inside the courtroom upon arrival. Inform the court officer if you have an attorney. We will wait 15-30 minutes past the scheduled hearing time for all parties to arrive before starting the hearing. You are responsible for arriving on time. If you are delayed, contact my court officer to report your lateness. My court officer is Jason Waugh. His telephone number is 614-525-3241.
Service
It is your responsibility to ensure that all parties to your case are served with your complaint or motion at least seven 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.
Zoom Hearings
If you would like to request a hearing be converted to zoom, please contact the magistrate’s assigned court officer at least 7 days prior to your scheduled hearing. If an in-person hearing is converted to a zoom hearing, it may be rescheduled for a Wednesday. While you wait for your Zoom hearing, kindly be patient. Any person joining a Zoom hearing must have their “Display Name” as their own name. Anyone with generic names such as “Samsung” or “iPhone” may not be admitted until their display names are changed to their personal names. All attorneys joining a Zoom hearing must have “Attorney,” “Atty,” “Esq.,” or something similar contained within their “Display Name.”
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.
Motions
Motions must be filed and served on opposing parties at least seven days in advance of the scheduled hearing date. Motions filed and served less than seven days in advance of the hearing date will not be heard and will be continued to a later hearing date.