Court Rules

Last updated July 1, 2025

1. Court Decorum:

1.1 No purses, bags or backpacks are allowed in the courtroom.
1.2 All cell phones must be turned off or set on "silent" while in the courtroom.
1.3 No food or drink is allowed in the courtroom.
1.4 Children should not be brought to court hearings. If children are brought to court at the first appearance docket, they must be supervised and quiet. Children are not allowed to be present for any docket hearings that occur on Thursdays.

2. Dress Code:

2.1 The following are required:

Shoes
Shirts
Clothing that covers midriff and all undergarments.

2.2 The following clothing items are prohibited:

Any clothing items that have illegal, offensive, obscene, vulgar, racist, sexist, gang-related, or drug-related statements or references.
Sweat pants or pajama pants
Hats (unless required for religious purposes)
Sunglasses (unless it is verified that they are prescribed by a doctor)
Sleeveless shirts, including tank tops and halter tops
See through clothing
Beachwear

2.3 The courtroom is typically kept at a cool temperature. Attendees may want to consider bringing a sweater or light jacket. Inappropriately dressed persons will be denied entry or ordered to leave the courtroom, which may result in the issuance of a warrant for failure to appear.

3. Appearances:

Defendants must personally appear at all hearings after arraignment, including pretrials, sentencings, trials and revocation hearings, unless a journal entry or order of continuance is approved by the court prior to the scheduled hearing.

4. Continuances:

4.1 The court clerk may grant one (1) continuance of two (2) weeks from the Notice to Appear date on the citation or complaint to appear and/or respond to certain traffic infractions. The clerk may only grant the continuance if the citation is for an offense that may be paid without attending court. If the citation indicates "court required" or "must appear", the court clerk may not grant the continuance. In those cases, the defendant must appear in front of the judge to request a continuance.

4.2 The judge will generally grant one (1) continuance per case to each party if no substantial prejudice occurs to the other party. This is for the case and not for each type.of hearing. Thus, if one party receives a continuance of a pretrial hearing, that party will not necessarily be granted a continuance of a trial hearing. Additional continuances are not generally granted and will be denied absent special circumstances.

5. No Cases Set for Review:

Cases will not be set for a "review" within a certain amount of time. If a party is granted a continuance, the case will be set on a specific docket at a specified time.

6. Signatures on Journal Entries:

All journal entries, except those involving only traffic infractions, must be signed by the defendant. Those documents cannot be signed by the attorney on behalf of the client.

7. Attorney Fee Bills:

7.1. All court-appointed attorney fee bills must be submitted within 120 days of the last date of representation of the client. If appointed for trial purposes, this will be on the date of withdrawal, date of dismissal, the date of sentencing or the date of filing a diversion agreement. Attorney fees submitted after 120 days will not be considered or paid.

7.2. All court-appointed attorney fee bills must be itemized. Each entry must show at least generally what was done and the amount of time billed for that entry.

8. Discovery:

8.1. The court has prepared a form discovery order that will be automatically generated by the court clerk when an attorney enters an appearance or is appointed. It is not necessary for attorneys to file a motion for discovery. Attorneys that do not wish to have discovery should let the clerk know at the time that they enter an appearance.

8.2. The discovery order will not automatically be generated for defendants that are representing themselves. Defendants that wish to obtain discovery documents should inform the court during the proceedings or file a written request with the court.

8.3. Attorneys or pro se defendants that believe that the discovery order does not address a specific need should file as motion that addresses the specific discovery that is not covered by the order or that has not been provided.

8.4. The court will not approve court-appointed attorney fees for motions for discovery or orders for discovery unless those motions and orders are to address specific discovery issues.

9. Juveniles:

Juveniles must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for all hearings unless the charge or charges are only traffic infractions. Any cases which carry the possibility of detention or license suspension are not considered infractions. Juveniles must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for all alcohol and tobacco related charges.