Clay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Tara S. Green and her staff are able to provide many court filing-related services, court appearances, and document recording services online. Using these online options can save you time and the expense of travel. Use of these services, by self-represented litigants or by any citizen, is also an important way to avoid crowds and potential exposure to infectious diseases.
Zoom
You may be directed by your assigned judge’s judicial assistant to attend a court appearance via the Zoom app/website. If so, you’ll receive directions regarding date, time, and log-in link directly from the judicial assistant. Our colleagues at the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) provided the following helpful instructions and tips regarding the use of the Zoom online service:
- The court is provided with the name of everyone who plans to attend the hearing, so please ensure that your Zoom screen name is your first and last name.
- Please ensure your microphone is on mute for the duration of court proceedings (unless you are directly addressing the court.)
- If you choose or are asked to turn on your camera, ensure that you are dressed appropriately for court; appropriate court attire and behavior are similar to how you would dress for a job interview or for church.
- If you have a photo or avatar associated with your account, remove it so that your screen is black and displaying only your name.
- Conduct your end of the Zoom appearance from a quiet location that has good lighting, steady camera/computer set-up, and no distractions.
- For arraignments and pre-trial hearings, there may be as many as 20-30 defendants on the judge’s calendar that day; each individual’s appearance may only last 1-2 minutes, but the full Zoom session may last an hour.
- Once the hearing has concluded, please leave the Zoom courtroom by clicking the “leave meeting” button at the bottom right corner of your screen; do not address the court or disrupt the other proceedings.