Circuit Court of Sangamon County, Illinois (7th Judicial Circuit) Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

To request a remote hearing, first contact the Court or its assistant directly, or file a motion.

If you are requesting a hearing be conducted remotely, you must first contact the Court or the Court’s assistant directly, or file a motion, sending a courtesy copy to the Court.

CRITICAL

Attorneys and litigants requesting a Zoom appearance must contact Judge Schmidt or her Administrative Assistant to schedule it.

Attorneys and litigants requesting zoom must contact Judge Schmidt or her Administrative Assistant to schedule.

CRITICAL

Unless the Court directs otherwise, counsel and their staff must include opposing counsel as a recipient on written correspondence to the Court or Court staff, including emails and letters.

Unless otherwise directed by the Court, all written correspondence with the Court or Court staff by counsel or counsel’s staff shall include the opposing counsel as a recipient of the correspondence. This includes emails and letters.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

The proposed order accompanying each motion must be emailed to the Judge.

A proposed order shall accompany every motion and be emailed to the Judge in Word format.

CRITICAL

For Zoom hearings, attorneys must note the date and time and log in; the Court will not send a Zoom invitation.

If a hearing is conducted by Zoom, the attorneys are responsible for noting the date and time and logging into the meeting. No Zoom invite will be sent by the Court.

CRITICAL

Unless the Court directs otherwise, counsel and staff must include opposing counsel as a recipient of written correspondence with the Court or Court staff, including emails and letters.

Unless otherwise directed by the Court, all written correspondence with the Court or Court staff by counsel or counsel's staff shall include the opposing counsel as a recipient of the correspondence. This includes emails and letters.

CRITICAL

For Zoom hearings, attorneys must note the hearing date and time and log into the meeting; the Court will not send a Zoom invitation.

If a hearing is conducted by Zoom, the attorneys are responsible for noting the date and time and logging into the meeting. No Zoom invite will be sent by the Court. The Court's meeting ID and password remain the same.

WARNING

To request a remote hearing, first contact the Court or its assistant directly, or file a motion and send a courtesy copy to the Court.

If you are requesting a hearing be conducted remotely, you must first contact the Court or the Court’s assistant directly, or file a motion, sending a courtesy copy to the Court.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to clerk

Counsel should give the Clerk a telephone or cellular number where they can be reached if the jury reaches a verdict or has a question requiring a Court response.

Counsel should furnish the Clerk of the Court with a telephone or cellular phone number where they can be reached when the jury indicates that it has reached a verdict or when the jurors have a question that needs a response from the Court.

WARNING

Zoom appearances require the Court’s permission.

Appearances via “Zoom” are allowed only with permission of the court.

WARNING

If numerous deposition objections are expected to require additional time, counsel must contact the Court before the final pretrial conference to obtain a hearing date before trial.

If there are numerous objections in depositions and counsel anticipates additional time will be needed to address objections, counsel shall contact the Court in advance of the final pretrial conference to obtain a hearing date prior to trial to address the objections.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

Counsel should be able to arrive in the courtroom within 15 minutes after the Court calls.

Counsel should be able to arrive in the courtroom upon receiving a call within no more than fifteen minutes after being contacted by the Court.