Fallon County District Court, Montana Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

A party or counsel granted leave to use JVN must make all necessary arrangements with the Clerk of Court or judicial assistant.

Any party/counsel granted leave to use JVN shall make all necessary arrangements for such use with the Clerk of Court or judicial assistant.

CRITICAL

Counsel must keep the Clerk of Court and other individuals informed of site or IP address changes affecting JVN participation.

Counsel is responsible for keeping the Clerk of Court and other individuals informed of site or IP address changes effecting JVN participation.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to clerk

Attorneys or parties must provide the Clerk’s office with the email addresses for receiving Orders or Minute Entries.

Attorneys or parties must provide the Clerk of Court’s office with the email address(es) to which copies of Orders or Minute Entries are to be emailed.

CRITICAL

A party may not discuss a substantive issue ex parte with the Court without notice and approval of all opposing counsel, unless the law expressly allows it.

No party shall discuss ex parte with the Court any substantive issue related to a pending or anticipated case without notice and approval of all opposing counsel, or as otherwise expressly allowed by law.

CRITICAL

Court communications must indicate on their face that a copy was sent to opposing counsel and any unrepresented party, or the Court will not receive them.

The Court will not receive letters, emails, or other communication from counsel or parties that do not indicate on the face of the document that a copy has been sent to opposing counsel and any unrepresented party.

CRITICAL

A party or counsel seeking to use JVN for a hearing or meeting unrelated to Sixteenth Judicial District Court business must reserve it through the Clerk of Court or judicial assistant.

Any party/counsel requesting use of the JVN equipment for hearings or meetings other than Sixteenth Judicial District Court business shall make proper reservations for such use through the Clerk of Court or judicial assistant.

CRITICAL

Matters which counsel expect will be contested or are expected to take more than 15 minutes shall be scheduled for additional time with the judicial assistant.

Matters which counsel expect will be contested or are expected to take more than 15 minutes shall be scheduled for additional time with the judicial assistant.

CRITICAL

Matters must be calendared with the judicial assistant by 4:00 p.m. on the business day before Law and Motion.

All matters shall be calendared with the judicial assistant by 4:00 p.m. on the business day before Law and Motion.

CRITICAL

Court scheduling must be coordinated with the judicial assistant or other personnel designated by the judge.

All the Court’s scheduling shall be coordinated with the judicial assistant or other personnel the judge may designate.

CRITICAL

Counsel unfamiliar with the electronic evidence presentation system must advise the Clerk of Court well in advance and arrange a convenient courthouse training time.

At a time well-in-advance of the scheduled trial or hearing date, counsel unfamiliar with the electronic evidence presentation system shall advise the Clerk of Court and shall make arrangements to come to the courthouse at a time convenient to the Clerk of Court in order to receive the necessary training for use of the electronic evidence presentation system.

WARNING

People wishing to use a courtroom, jury room, or law library for meetings, depositions, or videoconferencing must contact the Clerk of Court to reserve it and avoid scheduling conflicts.

Counsel and other persons wishing to utilize the courtrooms, the jury room, or the law library for meetings, depositions, and video-conferencing shall contact the Clerk of Court to reserve the desired facility so as to avoid possible conflicts with Court matters or others who have already scheduled use of these courthouse facilities.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

JVN hearing participants must maintain a means of communication, such as a cell phone, so they can be reached if connection problems or other delays arise.

Participants in the hearing via JVN are to maintain a means of communication (cell phone) so the individual may be readily contacted in the event of unforeseen difficulty establishing the JVN connection, or other delay.

WARNING

Before filming, media personnel must contact the Clerk of Court to coordinate equipment placement and avoid disrupting proceedings.

Prior to filming, media personnel shall contact the Clerk of Court to coordinate the placement of equipment in order to avoid disrupting the proceedings.

INFO

Contact

Email

Parties should avoid addressing substantive matters in email correspondence whenever possible.

Whenever possible, parties are to avoid addressing substantive matters within email correspondence.

INFO

Contact

Email to clerk

The Clerk may distribute Court Orders and Minute Entries by email instead of hard copy.

In an effort to promote the electronic storage and exchange of documents and reduce redundant scanning of documents produced by the Court, the Clerk of Court may distribute copies of Court Orders and Minute Entries by email rather than by hard copy.