Preferences and Practices
Unless you have received prior approval from the Court, all parties and their counsel must be present for scheduled hearings. Be on time and be prepared to proceed with your case at the scheduled time. Check in with the court officer inside the courtroom upon your arrival. If an emergency arises and you will be late, please notify the court officer immediately and provide a phone number at which you can be reached. Failure to appear on time may result in the case proceeding without you or being dismissed.
If you are not an attorney and you are representing yourself, Ohio law mandates that you be held to the same standard as an attorney in presenting your case to the Court. That means you must learn the appropriate law for your case and present your case by following the rules of juvenile and civil procedure, and evidence.
Courtroom Decorum and Dress
Professionalism and civility are expected of all persons entering the courtroom. All parties and counsel are expected to wear appropriate clothing and to be respectful and courteous to the court staff, the attorneys and parties in your own case, as well as any other people with whom you may interact at court. Be quiet in the courtroom while other hearings are in progress. Be mindful of the hallway noise that filters in each time the doors to the courtroom are opened.
The following items are not allowed in the courtroom: hair bonnets, hats, other head coverings that are not worn for religious purposes, skimpy clothing, tank tops, crop tops, shorts, sports bras, sunglasses, low-cut tops, catsuits, pajamas, slippers, and sagging pants. Chewing gum is also prohibited.
Zoom Hearings
Unless you have advance permission from the Court, you are not permitted to appear via Zoom when your case has been scheduled for an in-person hearing. If appearing for a previously scheduled Zoom hearing be warned that the Court is only required to wait ten minutes before proceeding with the hearing. If you are late, the case may be resolved or dismissed without your appearance. Make sure that before the hearing begins you know how to log into the hearing and know how to connect to both audio and video. During Zoom hearings, your camera must always be on, and you must be in a quiet location. You are prohibited from driving during the Zoom hearing; you must be parked.
All counsel, agency representatives, etc., should list their full names, titles, and affiliation with the case in their Zoom description. For example, “Atty Jane Appleseed, GAL” “FCCS Atty Paula Bunyan” “Arthur Oakley, caseworker.” Youth, parents, and other affiliated people are required to, at a minimum, display the names of all parties appearing on their screen.
Trial and Contested Hearings
Discovery, negotiation, and agreed resolutions should be completed prior to trial. Do not use the trial date as the time to begin negotiations on a case as this is a waste of the Court’s time. Mark exhibits prior to trial and have copies of all exhibits available for opposing counsel. The Court and stenographers are not responsible for providing attorneys with exhibit stickers, so attorneys will need to purchase these on their own and have all exhibits marked before the trial begins. Lists and copies of exhibits should be exchanged prior to trial. Stipulations are encouraged. The State/Plaintiffs should use a letter designation on all exhibits and juvenile defendants/respondents should use a number designation on all exhibits. The courtroom is equipped with various technological features that may be used during trial and other hearings. Parties are encouraged to bring with them whatever accessories they need to connect their devices to the Court’s technology and to check their technological needs against the Court’s technology equipment prior to trial.
Guardians ad Litem
Guardians ad Litem must have up to date information and must file a report seven days in advance of the hearing/trial when appropriate. Please comply with Franklin County Local Juvenile Rule 4 and Rule 48 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio.
Continuances
Continuances will be granted for good cause only and should be requested at the earliest possible opportunity. Once a matter is scheduled for trial, the Court strongly discourages continuances.
Cell Phones
Use of cell phones in the courtroom is prohibited, except with permission of the Court.
Diversion / Mediation
Diversion and mediation of cases is always encouraged. Consistent with the Court’s adherence to JDAI (Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative) principles, delinquency and unruly matters should avoid formal Court involvement if possible. In appropriate cases attempts should be made to divert or mediate delinquency matters prior to or at the initial hearing.
Interpreters
The Court is responsible for requesting language interpreters (including American Sign Language) for hearings. However, it is a good idea for parties to make sure that an interpreter is scheduled for the hearing. If you are an attorney needing to verify that an interpreter has been requested, or if you are representing yourself and need an interpreter, please contact the Office of Language Services (at least 7 days before the hearing) at drj_interpreterrequest@fccourts.org. You can also utilize the request form at Juvenile/Domestic Court Interpreter Request Form