Instead of contacting the judge directly, you can file a written motion. In most situations, whenever you need to request something from the court, you would do so in a motion. This ensures all parties have the same information available to them as the judge. If you are on the jury, you can only contact a judge in written form unless a lawyer is present.
Oftentimes, a pre-addressed envelope is included with the ticket.
If a long-term restraining order is desired, you must go through the standard trial process.
While you may not get in contact directly with the judge, you can still get assistance by a legal representative.
For example, if you want the judge to hear why you are the better legal guardian in a custody case, you can file a motion explaining why you are the ideal caretaker. If you are in a court case and want a judge to revisit a previous case, you can file a motion to reopen. For example, you can write something like, “The Defendant, Tina Johnson, in the above-captioned case, respectfully requests that the court hear her pleas regarding custody concerns. ” Depending on your circumstance, there may be an additional form to submit along with your motion. The court clerk will provide this form for you if it is required.
After the other party responds, the motion transfers to the judge so they can make their decision.
In some courts, a filing fee may be required. If this is the case, the court clerk will request the fee for you when you file the motion. When you file the motion, you must provide documentation that you sent the motion to the members of the other party. The date stamp is adequate proof. If you don’t get proof, the judge will do this for you.
When you file the motion, you can ask the court clerk what their process is regarding scheduling hearings. Some courts may have you fill out a Notice of Hearing form when you drop off the motion. If so, you must send a copy of this to the other party as well.
Do this if you want to ask a judge a question regarding a specific court case, handling jury matters, attorney admissions and bar memberships, or naturalization concerns. While ex parte communication refers to the particular judge in your case, it is not a good idea to contact another judge. This may be seen as trying to converse confidentially, which can negatively impact your case.
This page lists judges alphabetically and provides most of their addresses, phone numbers, divisions, and sections.
You can choose your judge based on court type, such as district, bankruptcy, probation and pretrial services, defenders, and appeals. Ultimately, the judge you contact is based on personal preference. You can select the judge who is closest to your location or most closely helps your situation, for example.
Alternatively, you can call the judge. However, you will most likely get a voicemail, as judges are very busy people. They may return your call or have a legal representative contact you. Say something like, “Dear Judge Smith, My name is Paul Johnson, and I am a teacher in York County, Pennsylvania. I am wondering what the outcome of the case with Mr. Ryan Simms was, as he was a longtime student of mine. "
The judge will respond in writing, or they will verbally respond to the entire jury. Do this if you want to clarify a piece of evidence, for instance.
This is often the only case in which you can directly talk to a judge regarding the case.
For example, if you are unsure as to whether you can ask a judge a question in private, as the lawyer.
