Information from the County Attorney's Office
By Steven J. Franzen, Campbell County Attorney
Unfortunately, on a regular basis people at court for a variety of reasons fail to follow basic courtroom etiquette and procedure. This article will address some common issues and recommendations should you ever have the need to appear in court.
Every court proceeding is a serious matter with significant consequences to the participants. Similar to school, everyone is expected to be on their best behavior while in the courtroom and observe basic courtroom etiquette. This starts before going to court in what you wear. It is important to dress appropriately when appearing in court. For non-attorneys, a suit may not be necessary but clothes should at least be clean and neat in appearance. For example, a button up shirt is acceptable whereas pajamas are unacceptable. A common problem is that it is unacceptable to wear hats into the courtroom.
While in court, you should always treat everyone with respect, do not curse or raise your voice. No one should talk while the judge is speaking and everyone should address every judge with respect. When in court, you cannot eat, drink or chew gum. When you have a court date, always arrive early to make sure you are in attendance on time for your case and make sure while in the courtroom that your cell phone is turned off.
Although most court proceedings are open to the public, you should not bring children unless you have been ordered by the judge to do so or the child is to be called as a witness. In the event that you cannot avoid bringing children to the courthouse, you should bring an adult to watch them while you are inside the courtroom.
For a list of local rules of conduct for the courts in your county, visit the Kentucky Court of Justice website at http://courts.ky.gov/Pages/localrules.aspx.
If you have any topics you would like to have covered in this column, please contact my office by e-mail at countyattorney@campbellcountyky.gov, by phone at (859) 491-7700 or by regular mail addressed to 319 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071.