Connecting to a Court Hearing via Zoom

A Zoom account is not required to connect to a Zoom hearing held before the Court.

Zoom hearings before the Court use the Zoom Webinar format. In this format a hearing participant (for example a party to a case such as a debtor or a creditor, an attorney representing a party, or a witness) is referred to as a “Panelist.” A hearing non-participant, someone attending to listen or observe (for example a member of the press or public) is referred to as an “Attendee.”

There are two ways to connect to a Zoom hearing: 1) Connecting via a link to a specific Zoom hearing allows for using audio and video, and 2) Connecting via a phone number.

NOTE: Connecting to a Zoom hearing by a phone number is listen only. To speak to the Court at a hearing the connection must be via the link provided for the specific Zoom hearing.

To connect to a Zoom hearing from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device click on the hearing link.

· Follow the prompts to save (download) and launch the Zoom file.

· Enter your email address and name. Select Join Webinar. If you receive a password prompt, enter the password specified for the hearing.

Connecting to a Zoom hearing may also be made from an iPhone by using the phone number one-tap feature, or from any phone by directly dialing a listed phone number and entering the Webinar ID provided for the specific Zoom hearing.

After connecting to the Zoom hearing, if naming instructions are posted on the screen follow the instructions to identify yourself for the courtroom deputy.

Initially all persons connected into a Zoom hearing are an Attendee. An Attendee can see and hear the judge and courtroom deputy, but no one can see or hear an Attendee. When it is time for an Attendee to speak the courtroom deputy will change the Attendee’s status to Panelist. A Panelist is visible on screen and can be heard by the judge, the courtroom deputy and all other Panelists and Attendees.

An Attendee wanting to speak with the Court during or at the end of a Zoom hearing may click the “Raise Hand” feature. The courtroom deputy may then open a chat with the Attendee and may place the Attendee in “allow to talk” mode or change the Attendee’s status to Panelist.

In “allow to talk” mode an Attendee is heard but not visible on the screen.

NOTE : Information on how to connect to your scheduled hearing is located in the Connecting to Your Hearing section at end of this page.