PREPARING FOR TRIAL

The Court has a long history of requiring appropriate dress and conduct. Informal attire such as baseball caps, tank tops, halters, and shorts are extremely discouraged.

Although the Magistrate Court is a people's Court, rules of evidence are still applied when presenting a case. The Court will not accept affidavits or letters that are considered "hearsay". Estimates of repair bills without the maker of the estimates are not accepted either. You must have the maker of any documents in Court in order to offer them into evidence. In some cases you may need to seek the advice of an attorney in order to submit your evidence. The Judges or Clerk of the Court cannot tell you how to try your case, however, the Clerk can assist you in preparing your paper work. While waiting for trial you should gather all your documents (receipts, repair bills, warranties, etc.) and have them ready. If you have witnesses you should notify them of your Court date. Should a witness refuse to come to Court you may have the Clerk issue a subpoena for their appearance. To do this you must go to the Clerk of Magistrate Court and tell them the name and address of your witness. If the witness resides outside of the County, ask the Clerk for a copy of the law on issuing subpoenas.