GENERAL RULES OF COURTROOM CONDUCT
The Court is charged with the responsibility of maintaining proper order and decorum. Accordingly, the Court shall require all defendants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and others with whom the Judge deals in an official capacity, to conduct and dress in a manner deemed fitting and respectable. All parties shall:
1. Not argue with the Court or court personnel.
2. Address the Court as “Judge” or “Your Honor.”
3. Address opposing parties, counsel, witnesses, and court personnel and officers as “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Miss”, “Officer”, etc.
4. Not talk at the same time as the Court, counsels, witnesses, or other court personnel.
5. Not talk loudly or cause a disturbance during court proceedings.
6. Not use racist, sexist, obscene, or profane language or gestures unless it is pertinent to a case and is elicited and quoted from facts in the case.
7. Not disturb or distract the court, counsels, witnesses, and other court personnel. Children must not create a disturbance, or they will be kept out of the courtroom. No unattended children or children under the age of 10 years of age will be allowed in the courtroom, unless child(ren) is appearing for court or prior approval has been granted by the Judge.
8. Rise when the Judge enters the courtroom and remain standing until the Judge or Bailiff announces, “Be seated,” or until the Judge is seated. Rise when the Judge exits the courtroom.
All officers of the court (except the Judge and jurors) and all other participants (except witnesses who have been placed under the rule) shall promptly enter the courtroom before the scheduled time for each court session. When the bailiff or Clerk of Court calls the Court to order, complete order should be observed.
In the courtroom there shall be:
1. NO TALKING during the hearings/trials, except by participants;
2. NO SMOKING or use of tobacco products, including snuff or chewing tobacco;
3. NO EATING of food, drinking of beverages, or chewing and/or popping of gum. Bottled water is allowed in the Courtroom;
4. NO INAPPROPRIATE ATTIRE, including pajamas, shorts, tank tops, sleeveless shirts, underwear showing, bare feet or flip flops, and/or inappropriate "message" on clothing;
5. NO HATS or head coverings, including scarves, bandanas or do-rags, worn in the Courtroom unless such items are religious in nature;
6. NO CELLULAR TELEPHONES or electronic devices (computer, recording devices, game devices, etc.) allowed in the Courtroom. Failure to comply will result in item(s) being confiscated and returned at the end of the hearing.
7. NO UNATTENDED CHILDREN or children under the age of 10 years of age allowed in the Courtroom, unless child(ren) is appearing for Court unless approved in advance by the Judge. Children must not create a disturbance, or they will be kept out of the courtroom.
8. NO READING of extraneous materials, such as books, newspapers or magazines;
9. NO STANDING in the Courtroom, particularly in front of Bailiff or in front of the Bench, except when addressing the Court, or by direction of the Judge, or as necessitated by the business of the Court;
10. NO PHOTOGRAPHY, audio capture/recording, video capture/recording, livestreaming, or any type of broadcasting in the courtroom without express permission in advance from the Judge;
11. NO LOUD NOISES;
12. NO PROPPING of feet on tables or chairs;
13. NO OFFENSIVE, LOUD, ABUSIVE, OR PROVOCATIVE LANGUAGE unless the language is part and parcel of evidence offered in a good faith effort to administer justice;
14. NO ANIMALS except service animals;
15. NO GESTURES, facial expressions, or sounds indicating approval or disapproval of a ruling of the Court or a comment of a witness;
16. NO WEAPONS, including guns (assault rifles, pistols, automatics, shotguns, grenade launchers, rockets, etc.), knives, bat/pipe/baton/clubs, razorblades, bombs, ricin, pepper spray, bow & arrows, and objects construed as weapons, are allowed in the courtroom other than by the Judge, a Texas Peace Officer, or a Bailiff employed by the City.
Failure to abide by the Courtroom Conduct may result in Contempt of Court or a Peace Officer escorting the individual(s)
out of the Courtroom.
COURT DOCKET CHECK IN PROCESS:
Please appear a minimum of 15 minutes prior to your scheduled hearing and follow the steps below to check in on the docket:
- Check in with the Court Clerk located in the Court lobby which is the first door to your left as you enter the main entrance to the Municipal Court / Police Department building located at 104 Grady Tuck Lane, Bastrop TX 78602
- You must sign in on the appropriate docket sign in sheet (the Court Clerk will assist you)
- Once you have signed in with the Court Clerk, you may proceed to the Court Room by exiting the Court lobby, turn left and enter through the double doors. To your left will be the Court room.
- Before entering the Court room, you will be required to go through security at the court room entrance with the bailiff and may not enter the court room unless instructed by the bailiff.