Powder River County District Court, Montana Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

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

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

CRITICAL

At least three weeks before a civil or criminal jury trial, each party’s counsel must notify the Clerk of Court in writing whether the trial will proceed as scheduled.

At least three (3) weeks prior to the commencement of a civil jury trial or criminal jury trial, counsel for each party shall advise the Clerk of Court in writing as to whether said trial will proceed as docketed.

CRITICAL

Counsel must arrange additional time with the judicial assistant for matters expected to be contested or to take more than 15 minutes.

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

Counsel must conference with the Judge before trial unless the Judge waives the conference.

1. Counsel shall have a conference with the Judge prior to trial, unless waived by the Judge.

CRITICAL

Media personnel must contact the Clerk of Court before filming 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.

CRITICAL

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

C. 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

All 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

Anyone wishing to use a courtroom, jury room, or law library for a meeting, deposition, or videoconference must contact the Clerk of Court to reserve the facility.

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

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

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

For JVN use for non-court business, the requesting party or counsel must reserve through the Clerk or judicial assistant and report to the Clerk upon arrival.

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, and shall be responsible for operation and movement of the camera. The party/counsel shall report to the Clerk of Court upon arriving for the JVN session and will be directed to the appropriate location for use of the equipment.

WARNING

Counsel must inform the Clerk of Court and other relevant individuals of changes to a JVN participant’s site or IP address.

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

WARNING

A party or counsel granted leave to use JVN must make the 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.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Whenever possible, parties should avoid discussing substantive matters by email.

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

INFO

If time permits, uncalendared matters may be heard after calendared matters; uncontested or emergency matters may be presented at other times when the Court is available.

If time permits, un-calendared matters may be presented and heard after all calendared matters have been heard. Uncontested or emergency matters may be presented to the Court at such other times as the Court is available to hear the matter.