Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone to chambers

If a motion requires a hearing, the filing party must contact the Staff Attorney by phone or email to schedule it.

If a motion requires a hearing, the party filing the motion shall contact the Staff Attorney by phone or email to schedule a hearing date.

CRITICAL

Do not contact court staff by social media, text, or phone about pending matters.

Communications with court staff on social media, text, or phone about matters pending before the Court are not permitted.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Ex parte communications with the Judge and staff are prohibited, subject to stated exceptions; email is preferred and must include all attorneys and unrepresented parties.

Ex parte communications with the Judge and her Staff are prohibited unless all parties consent or the matter involves being late to court, directions, or videoconferencing technical assistance. The preferred method of communication with court staff is email and you must include all attorneys and unrepresented parties on each email.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email

Counsel must email the Bailiff and copy all parties at least 7 days before trial to confirm case status and whether trial will proceed as scheduled.

Counsel must email the Bailiff (rbryan@hamiltoncountycourtsoh.gov) and copy all parties no later than 7 days before trial to confirm the status of their case and whether it will proceed as scheduled.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Ex parte communication is prohibited absent party consent or legal authorization; email is preferred and must copy all counsel and unrepresented parties.

Ex parte communication is prohibited unless all parties consent or as otherwise permitted by law. Email is the preferred method of communication and must copy all counsel and unrepresented parties.

CRITICAL

Phone

513-946-5830

For an anticipated plea or sentencing not listed on the docket or calendar, counsel must notify the Bailiff at least one business day in advance and submit a proposed plea entry then whenever practicable.

If the parties anticipate that a plea and/or sentencing will occur at a setting not reflected on the Court’s docket or calendar (including, but not limited to, final pretrial conferences or trial dates), counsel must notify the Bailiff no later than one business day in advance. Whenever practicable, a proposed plea entry shall be submitted at that time.

WARNING

Contact

Email

The case caption should appear in the subject line of the email.

The case caption should be included in the email’s subject line.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

After a motion is fully briefed, notify the Court by contacting the staff attorney by email.

Once a motion is fully briefed, please contact the staff attorney at the email provided above to notify the Court.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

Phone

513-946-5759

Case management conferences, status conferences, and case reports are held by telephone; parties must contact opposing counsel and initiate a conference call before calling the Court.

** ALL CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES (CMC), STATUS CONFERENCES, AND CASE REPORTS, WILL BE HELD VIA TELEPHONE CONFERENCE. PLEASE CONTACT OPPOSING COUNSEL PRIOR TO THE CMC AND INITIATE A CONFERENCE CALL -- THEN CALL THE COURT AT 513-946-5759 **

WARNING

Counsel seeking the status of a pending motion or alerting the Court to an urgent request should contact the bailiff in criminal cases.

However, to request the status of a pending motion or to alert the Court of an urgent request, counsel should contact either the bailiff (criminal cases) or the staff attorney (civil cases).

WARNING

Civil oral argument is scheduled only on request or by Court direction, and counsel must contact opposing counsel before asking the staff attorney to schedule it.

Oral argument in a civil case is set only upon request or at the direction of the Court. Contact opposing counsel prior to contacting the Court’s staff attorney to request oral argument on a civil motion.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

To schedule a hearing on a civil motion to withdraw as counsel, counsel must follow Local Rule 10(D) and call the staff attorney.

For motions to withdraw as counsel in civil cases, follow Local Rule 10(D) and call the Court’s staff attorney to schedule a hearing.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

An attorney who expects to be late must telephone the Bailiff in criminal matters or the Staff Attorney in civil matters in advance.

If an attorney is going to be late for a scheduled proceeding, the attorney is expected to telephone the Bailiff (criminal matters) or Staff Attorney (civil matters) in advance.

WARNING

Attorneys should contact the Staff Attorney in advance if they will be late or need to reschedule a court appearance.

If a party is going to be late or the court appearance needs to be rescheduled, attorneys should contact the Staff Attorney in advance.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Special criminal instructions and requested civil instructions should be emailed to the Staff Attorney before trial.

Any special criminal instructions or requested civil instructions should be emailed to the Staff Attorney in advance of trial.

WARNING

If a motion has not been decided within 30 days, the parties must contact the Staff Attorney.

If a motion has not been ruled on within 30 days, the parties shall contact the Staff Attorney.

WARNING

The parties must notify the Court when a motion is ripe for decision.

The Parties shall notify the Court when the motion is ripe for decision.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

A party filing a motion must notify the Staff Attorney by telephone or email.

When either party files a Motion, that party shall inform the Staff Attorney by telephone or email that a motion has been filed.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Once a motion has been ripe for more than 60 days, please email Court staff that a motion remains pending and copy all parties.

Once a motion has been ripe for more than 60 days, please email Court staff that a motion remains pending and copy all parties.

WARNING

To set a hearing in a civil case, contact the law clerk.

To set a hearing on a civil case, contact the law clerk.

WARNING

To set a hearing in a criminal case, contact the bailiff.

To set a hearing on a criminal case, contact the bailiff.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

A case management conference may be held by telephone upon request; if granted, contact opposing counsel beforehand, initiate a conference call, and then call the court.

** CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES CAN BE HELD VIA TELEPHONE UPOD REQUEST. IF GRANTED, PLEASE CONTACT OPPOSING COUNSEL PRIOR TO THE CMC AND INITIATE A CONFERENCE CALL -- THEN CALL THE COURT **

WARNING

Contact

Phone

An attorney who will be late is expected to call the court.

If an attorney is going to be late, I expect a phone call.

WARNING

For a criminal matter, attorneys should contact the room prosecutor before reporting to the bailiff.

For criminal matters, contact the room prosecutor before reporting to the bailiff.

WARNING

For criminal continuances, first contact the room prosecutor and then the bailiff.

For criminal matters, contact the room prosecutor initially and then the bailiff.

WARNING

Civil motions are generally set for the afternoon but may be canceled or postponed when a trial is in progress.

Civil motions are generally scheduled in the afternoon, but are subject to cancellation or postponement if a trial is in progress.

WARNING

Contact the bailiff to set the date and time for a criminal motion.

Contact the bailiff to set the date and time.

WARNING

On arrival in the courtroom for a civil matter, attorneys should report to the law clerk.

When attorneys arrive in the courtroom, they should report to the law clerk for civil matters.

WARNING

For civil continuances, first contact opposing counsel and provide the law clerk with a proposed date.

For civil matters, contact opposing counsel initially and provide the law clerk with proposed date.

WARNING

After filing a civil motion, contact the law clerk and schedule a hearing date with opposing counsel.

Contact the law clerk after the civil motion is filed and schedule a date for hearing with opposing counsel.

WARNING

Phone

513-946-5770

An attorney who will be late should contact the court bailiff as soon as possible.

If an attorney is going to be late, please contact the court bailiff as soon as possible.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

Case management conferences are held by telephone; counsel must contact opposing counsel and initiate a conference call before calling the Court.

** ALL CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES WILL BE HELD VIA TELEPHONE. PLEASE CONTACT OPPOSING COUNSEL PRIOR TO THE CMC AND INITIATE A CONFERENCE CALL -- THEN CALL THE COURT at 513-946-5850**

WARNING

The parties must inform the Court when a motion is ready for a ruling.

The parties shall inform the Court when a motion is ripe for ruling.

WARNING

The Staff Attorney should be informed as soon as practical when a civil case settles.

Civil cases that have settled should inform the Court’s staff attorney as soon as practical.

WARNING

If the final entry cannot be completed on its scheduled date, the parties should explain the delay to the Staff Attorney by email or phone, and the Court may set a new date.

If the final entry is not able to be completed on that date, the parties should contact the Staff Attorney by email or phone to explain the delay, and the Court may set a new date accordingly.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

The initial case management conference is by telephone unless the Staff Attorney contacts the parties to appear in person.

The Assignment Commissioner sets the initial case management conference when the case is filed.  Those appearances are by phone unless you were contacted by the Staff Attorney to appear in person.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

CMCs are held by telephone unless otherwise requested, and plaintiff’s counsel must initiate the call to defense counsel and then the Staff Attorney.

All CMCs are held by telephone, unless otherwise requested. Plaintiff's counsel is to initiate the telephone conference to Defendant's counsel and then to Judge Winkler’s Staff Attorney.

WARNING

Contact the Bailiff to set a hearing in a criminal case.

To set a hearing on a criminal case, contact the Bailiff.

WARNING

Contact the Staff Attorney to set a hearing in a civil case.

To set a hearing on a civil case, contact the Staff Attorney.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Phone

513-946-5831

Civil appearances are by phone conference unless the parties request in-person appearance; email the Staff Attorney in advance to switch to in-person.

All civil appearances will be conducted via phone conference unless the parties request to appear in person. To switch from a phone conference to in-person, please email the Staff Attorney in advance.

WARNING

Social media contact with Court staff is prohibited.

Social media contact with Court staff is not permitted.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

For a civil motion to withdraw as counsel, follow Local Rule 10(D) and call the Staff Attorney to schedule a hearing.

For motions to withdraw as counsel in civil cases, follow Local Rule 10(D) and call the Staff Attorney to schedule a hearing.

WARNING

The court sets oral argument in a civil case only when requested.

Oral argument in a civil case is set only upon request.

WARNING

Before contacting Judge Cross’s Staff Attorney to schedule oral argument on a civil motion, contact opposing counsel.

Contact opposing counsel prior to contacting Judge Cross’s Staff Attorney to set any civil motion for oral argument.

INFO

Contact

Email

A copy of the joint plan should be emailed to the staff attorney.

A copy of the joint plan should be emailed to the staff attorney.

INFO

Remote-appearance requests may be accommodated to the extent possible, and the staff attorney should be contacted sufficiently in advance to arrange them.

The Court will reasonably accommodate requests to appear by telephone or zoom to the extent possible.  Contact the Court’s staff attorney sufficiently in advance to make needed arrangements if remote appearance is requested.

INFO

Contact

Email

Before the jury trial date, parties may email the Court’s Bailiff, copying all counsel, to determine the case’s docket status.

Please email the Court’s Bailiff (and copy all counsel) prior to the jury trial date to determine the status of your case on the docket.

INFO

Contact

Email to chambers

Counsel may email the Staff Attorney, copying all counsel, to alert the Court that a pending motion needs a prompt ruling.

Counsel may email the Staff Attorney (and copy all counsel) to alert the Court when a motion is pending that needs a prompt ruling.

INFO

Contact

Email to chambers

Parties may email the Staff Attorney before trial to inquire about the case’s status on the docket.

You are welcome to email the staff attorney before the trial date to inquire of the status of your case on the docket.

INFO

Contact

Email to chambers

The moving party may email Court staff when an unopposed motion is ripe for decision.

The moving party is permitted to email Court staff when an unopposed motion is ripe for decision.

INFO

Contact

Phone

Attorneys may call the court for assistance with discovery issues.

Attorneys can call the court for assistance.

INFO

Phone

513-946-5790

Criminal-case scheduling is handled through Bailiff Tim Noel.

In criminal cases, scheduling is done through the bailiff, Tim Noel.

INFO

Contact

Phone

Attorneys with specific concerns should call before their trial date.

Attorneys should call in advance of their trial date if they have specific concerns.

INFO

If a case is in progress, attorneys should wait until an appropriate time to report.

If a case is in progress, please wait to report until an appropriate time.

INFO

Criminal motions are scheduled in the morning.

Criminal motions are scheduled in the mornings.

INFO

The court occasionally sets aside days for civil motion hearings.

Occasionally, days are set aside for hearing civil motions.

INFO

Civil motions may also be scheduled in the morning on days set aside for motion hearings.

On those days, motions may be scheduled in the morning also.

INFO

Phone

513-946-5770

Contact the Bailiff for more information.

Contact the Bailiff for more information.

INFO

If a decision has not been issued within 60 days, parties are advised to contact Court staff.

Parties are advised to contact Court staff if a decision is not forthcoming within 60 days.

INFO

Direct criminal questions to the Bailiff and civil or non-case-related inquiries to the Staff Attorney.

Questions about criminal matters should be directed to Bailiff Rob Bryan; civil matters and non-case-related inquiries should be sent to Staff Attorney Courtney Howard.

INFO

Ex parte communication about tardiness or technical issues is permitted.

Ex parte communication regarding tardiness or technical issues is permitted.