Portsmouth Municipal Court, Ohio Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Counsel, parties, and witnesses may not contact jurors before the jurors are dismissed.

Under no circumstances shall counsel, a party, or other witness, have any contact with jurors until such jurors have been dismissed.

CRITICAL

Defense counsel who filed jury demands, and counsel in serious misdemeanors, must notify the Court by 4:00 p.m. on the eighth day before trial of a plea change or change in jury-demand status; otherwise jury costs will be attached to the case.

All defense counsel having filed jury demands (or in serious misdemeanors) shall notify the Court by 4:00 p.m. of the eighth (8th) day preceding their trial of any change in plea, or jury demand status by a jury waiver in writing by the defendant or jury costs will bee attached to their case.

WARNING

Prospective jurors must direct questions and communications to assigned court personnel.

Upon appearance for service, all prospective jurors shall be placed under the supervision of assigned court personnel and shall direct any questions or communications to such court personnel for appropriate action.

WARNING

Judge-jury panel communications must be written or placed on the open-court record, and counsel must be informed and given an opportunity to be heard.

All communications between the judge and the members of the jury panel, from the time of reporting to the Court to the time of dismissal, shall be committed to writing or placed on the record in open court. Counsel for each party shall be informed of any communications, and shall be given the opportunity to be heard as to such communication.

WARNING

Attorneys interested in representing indigent defendants must inform the Court of their interest.

Attorneys interested in representing indigent defendants shall make it known to the Court.