Sheridan County District Court, Montana Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

A party or counsel must notify the Court through the assigned Judge's Judicial Assistant sufficiently in advance of a hearing that may involve a potentially violent situation.

It is the duty of each party/counsel to advise the Court, through the assigned Judge's Judicial Assistant sufficiently in advance of any hearing that may result in a potentially violent situation so that appropriate security measures may be taken.

WARNING

Those wishing to use courthouse facilities must contact the Judicial Assistant and County Clerk in advance to reserve them; last-minute statutorily required matters take priority.

Counsel, and other persons wishing to utilize the courtroom, the jury room, or the law library for meetings, depositions, and videoconferencing shall contact the Judicial Assistant and County Clerk of Court in advance of the use of courthouse facilities to reserve the desired facility to avoid possible conflicts with Court matters or other previously-arranged use of these courthouse facilities.

WARNING

A party arranging a witness’s or client’s Zoom appearance must coordinate with court staff before the hearing day, unless good cause supports coordinating on the hearing day.

A party seeking an electronic appearance by Zoom for a witness or client bears the sole responsibility of coordinating the appearance through the Court's staff (i.e. Court Clerk, Judicial Assistant or Court Reporter) prior to the day of the hearing, unless good cause is shown why coordination is done on the day of the hearing.

WARNING

Court scheduling is handled through the Judicial Assistant or designated personnel, and the Court will set a matter after two unanswered attempts to communicate.

All the Court's scheduling shall be done through the Judicial Assistant or any other personnel the judge may designate. The Judicial Assistant will communicate electronically to propose dates and times to set a hearing. After two attempts to communicate with an attorney or pro se litigant with no return communication, the Court will set the matter.

WARNING

Contact

Email to clerk

Attorneys must provide the Clerk's office each email address for receiving emailed Orders or Minute Entries.

Attorneys shall provide to the Clerk of Court's office each email address to which the Clerk is to email copies of Orders or Minute Entries.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Emailing a document to the judge or Judicial Assistant does not count as filing it with the Clerk of Court.

An email to the judge or judicial assistant does not constitute "filing" a document with the Clerk of Court.

WARNING

A party or counsel using Zoom equipment for a non-court-business session must report to the county clerk upon arrival.

The party/counsel shall report to the clerk of court in the respective county upon arriving for the Zoom session and will be directed to the appropriate location for use of the equipment.

WARNING

A party may ask the Court's Judicial Assistant to add a matter to the calendar no later than noon on the day before a scheduled hearing.

A party may ask the Court's Judicial Assistant to add a matter to the calendar by noon the day before any scheduled hearing.

WARNING

An attorney must advise the Judicial Assistant if a matter is expected to be contested or to take more than 15 minutes.

An attorney who expects a matter will be contested or take more than 15 minutes shall advise the Judicial Assistant so that additional time may be scheduled.

WARNING

A party or counsel seeking to use Zoom equipment for non-court-business hearings or meetings must reserve it through the county Clerk of Court and Judicial Assistant.

Any party/counsel requesting the use of the Zoom equipment for hearings or meetings other than Fifteenth Judicial District Court business shall make proper reservations for such use through the Clerk of Court in the respective county and the Judicial Assistant.

INFO

Contact

Email

After the allowed briefing or additional-filing period, parties may—and are encouraged to—email the Judicial Assistant a brief reminder identifying the matter and the date it was fully submitted or taken under advisement.

In matters pending or taken under advisement including, but not limited to, a motion or decision in a bench trial, parties may, and are encouraged, following any period as allowed for briefing and/or additional filing, to send the Court a reminder e-mail to the Judicial Assistant (wen-shiu.chang@mt.gov) containing only a brief description of the matter needing attention and the date it was fully submitted or taken under advisement.