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TO: |
All Counsel
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FROM: |
Judge Barbara Hanson Nellermoe
45th Judicial District, Bexar County, Texas
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RE: |
CourtCall Telephonic Appearances
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DATE: |
June 2005 |
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For appearances commencing in June 2005, I will join a growing number of Judges in Texas and around the country using CourtCall, a new method of conducting telephonic appearances by counsel ("CourtCall Appearances"). In my courtroom, CourtCall appearances may generally be made for all non-evidentiary appearances including Pre-trial Conferences, Status Conferences and Motions. As with current practice, counsel must still clear hearing dates with the Court. It is my hope that by making the process more uniform, your practice will become more productive and enjoyable so that the cost of litigation will be further reduced.
Parties MAY NOT use CourtCall to circumvent the Presiding Court system of the Bexar County Civil District Courts. Thus, to utilize this procedure, the matter set for a hearing in the 45th Judicial District must have been assigned to the 45th Judicial District by the Presiding Judge, the Monitoring Judge, or the Civil Jury Assignments Clerk. Subsequent hearings on motions to reconsider or to enter an order may be arranged without further assignment authority.
Counsel may make a CourtCall Appearance, only after receiving permission from the Court, by serving and filing with CourtCall (not the Court), NOT LESS THAN FIVE (5) COURT DAYS PRIOR TO THE HEARING DATE, a Request for Telephonic Appearance Form, and paying a fee of $55.00 for each CourtCall Appearance. There are no subscription fees.
A CourtCall Appearance is made as part of a Court's regular calendar and all counsel who have timely filed their request form and paid the fee may appear by dialing the Courtroom's dedicated toll free teleconference number, and access code (if any) which will be provided by CourtCall, LLC on the confirmation faxed to your office. A pre-hearing check-in will occur five minutes prior to the scheduled hearing time. A CourtCall Appearance is voluntary and may be made without consent of the other party, and the Court continues to reserve the right to reject any request. In matters where only one party elects to make a CourtCall Appearance, the matter will be heard on the Court's speakerphone provided by CourtCall.
You may obtain additional information by calling the CourtCall Program Administrator, CourtCall at (310) 342-0888 or (888) 882-6878.
For more information about CourtCall please call CourtCall, LLC, not the Courtroom!! |
