Solano — Guidelines for Court Hearings on Zoom

Source: https://solano.courts.ca.gov/system/files/solano_guidelines_for_zoom_07-10-20.pdf

Solano Superior Court Guidelines for court hearings on Zoom

ADVANCE PREPARATION THE HEARING You need a computer, smart phone, or tablet with You will be placed in a waiting room when you a microphone and camera, with internet access. join the hearing. The court will admit you from You may also phone into the Zoom hearing by the waiting room. telephone only, but will not be able to see the You must have video and sound turned on in your other participants. Zoom settings. Participants who have access to laptops, smart You will be placed on mute when you enter the phones or tablets but have difficulty with audio hearing. To avoid excessive feedback, participants may separately call into the Zoom telephone should remain on mute until called upon by the conference line. judge. The space bar may be used as an immediate Zoom works best if you download the Zoom app. “brake” to quickly and temporarily unmute a You may also use Zoom through the Zoom participant. website. Observers shall be placed on mute. Everyone attending should include their first and last You should ensure there are no Each participant name on their Zoom profile. distractions during the hearing will speak only You should provide adequate lighting and sound for including noise and when called on the judge to clearly see and hear you. unnecessary movement. by the judge. You should test Zoom before the hearing. Participants should refrain from You should dress as though you are appearing in eating and drinking and conduct themselves as if Court. they are in court. Enable your email to permit receipt of the Zoom The judge will call the case and call on each party invitation and to ensure it is not blocked by spam individually to enter their appearance. controls. Prior to speaking, participants are required to announce their name. SCHEDULING Participants are prohibited from recording, photographing or taking screen shots of the The Court will determine if your matter is eligible proceeding. for Zoom. If you have not received a Zoom The court reporter transcript is the official record. invitation, it may indicate that your hearing is not
ATTENDEE RESPONSIBILITIES eligible for a remote court proceeding. Contact the department to confirm. The Court will serve as the meeting “host.” When represented by an attorney, your attorney will Unless deemed confidential, this is a public provide the meeting link, meeting ID, and meeting proceeding. Instructions for accessing proceedings password. via Zoom are located on the Court’s website. If you represent yourself, the Court will provide you The Court will schedule the hearing and send an with the meeting link, meeting ID, and meeting email invitation that includes the meeting link, password. To better manage remote appearances, attorney and meeting ID, password and telephone number to the attorney of record and any person in pro per. It is parties must have permission from the court before very important to ensure your accurate email forwarding remote court invitations to third persons. address and contact information is on file with the

court. The Zoom invitation reflects a time when the courtroom opens, not your calendared appearance time. You may join early, but your case will be called at the noticed time.

Guidelines for Zoom – 07-10-2020