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Zoom Hearing

HOW TO: APPEAR IN COURT BY ZOOM

Leah Thomas May 28, 2020

Court hearings will continue to take place through Zoom when possible to limit the number of people in courthouses across Wisconsin due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mastantuono & Coffee has conducted many of these hearings, and we have developed recommendations for anyone who needs to appear in court by Zoom.

How to Setup Zoom for a Court Hearing

  1. Make sure the background is neutral, meaning not a lot of items on the wall and nothing questionable. This would be the time to take down the marijuana poster.

  2. Make sure that the lighting isn’t a problem. Ideally, have light directly on your face, so position a lamp or sit facing a window. Light from behind you might blind the camera, making you look dark. Light above you in the center of a room might also cast shadows.

  3. Position your camera (or hold your phone) so that it is at eye level or slightly above. Do not rest it on a table pointed up, or facing the ground. Do not walk around during the hearing.

  4. Set up your Zoom account using your full name (first and last) so that it clear to the court who you are.

  5. Before your hearing, test your connection and setup with a Zoom test meeting 

  6. If you need tips on how to join the hearing, please watch this short video (about 1 minute)

What to do during a Zoom hearing

  1. Make sure to be dressed like you were going to court in person – you will need to use the video appearance

  2. Login about 10 minutes early so that you can fix any connection issues without being late

  3. Make sure to be in a place that is quiet (little or no background noise)

  4. Keep yourself on mute until your case is called, and stay muted until you need to speak

  5. Pause before answering any questions in case there is a delay in the connection. There must only be one person speaking at a time.

  6. If a new hearing date is being scheduled and the date does not work for you, say so. Just simply say, I am not available on that date. 

We hope these tips are helpful. If you have questions before your hearing, please make sure to call your lawyer to discuss them in more detail. 

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