Being involved in litigation in the courts can be confusing.  It can be difficult to figure out exactly what your responsibilities are and how you are supposed to fulfill them, especially if you do not have a lawyer to assist you.  One of PMC's goals is to make it easier for court users to make their way through the court system.  We do this by referring litigants to resources inside and outside the court system and by providing helpful information.

Tips for the Dealing with All the Paperwork

• Keep Track of All Deadlines and Make Sure You Meet Them
• If you cannot meet a deadline, seek agreement with the opposing party or counsel for an extension, and notify the court of any such agreement.  If agreement cannot be reached, you may request an extention from the Court.  Make such requests in writing, sufficiently in advance of the original due date for the filing.  Do not assume you have received an extension unless and until you receive notice of such extension from the court.
• The Prothonotary or Clerk of Court's Office have lists documenting fees for all sorts of court filings.  Check these lists to ensure that you have the proper amount and form of payment to accompany your court filings.
• Sometimes, you will be required to file multiple copies.  Check with the Prothonotary or Clerk of Court so that you know exactly what you need to file.
• File documents with the proper office and keep a copy of anything you file with the Court or send to the opposing party or opposing counsel.
• The staff of the Prothonotary or Clerk of Court's Office  can be helpful on the telephone or in person in explaining procedures.
• There are processes available by which you can get a list of, and even copy, documents that have been filed with the Court.  Sometimes, you just need to show up, request a file and pay copying fees.  In other courts, there may be more formal processes.  Contact your local court to find out how they handle requests for copies.
• Some judges like certain procedures to be followed.  Check with the Prothonotary or Clerk of Court's office to determine if the judge in your case has published a list of such procedures.
  

How to Get a Language or Sign Language Interpreter

By law, litigants with Limited English Proficiency and those who are deaf or hard of hearing are entitled to a professional language or sign language interpreter for judicial and most administrative hearings.   Criminal and civil roceedings in all state and county courts are covered.

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) has a special office dedicated to certifying professional interpreters for use in the courts.  As the new rules and procedures go into effect, the local courts are developing their own processes for ensuring that litigants receive the interpreter services to which they are entitled.  For example, in Philadelphia, the Court of Common Pleas has a special office through which all such requests are processed.  In criminal cases and in civil cases involving indigent parties, the court bears the cost of the interpreter services.  In certain civil cases where the parties can afford the costs, the court may include interpreter costs in fees assessed against the parties.

Click here to download an article by PMC Associate Director Shira Goodman and attorney Deborah Culhane: Connecting the Parts: Language Access Task Force and Court System Work to Guarantee Access to Justice, about the work of the Language Access Task Force of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the First Judicial District.  The article includes tips on how to get an interpreter for proceedings in the First Judicial District.

How to Act in the Courtroom

• Always show respect for the Court, by respecting the judge, court personnel, and the opposing party and opposing counsel.
• Arrive on time, prepared to proceed.
• If you cannot attend a scheduled hearing, contact the court immediately, seeking a continuance or postponement.  This should be done in writing in advance, but if a last minute emergency arises, contact the court by telephone.  Call the courthouse office first and ask whether you should also contact the judge's chambers.  Also, alert the opposing party or counsel.
• Dress neatly and as professionally as possible.
• For any court appearance, come prepared with any documents or witnesses you will need.
• If there are documents you are intending to submit to the judge, be sure to have copies for the judge, the opposing counsel or party and extra copies to be marked into evidence.
• Follow the directions of the judge and the court staff.
• Courtrooms are very formal and often follow a strict procedure.  Follow the procedures and speak only when it is your turn to do so.  Each side will get a chance to address the court.   Be patient and allow the other side to have its turn. 
• If you do not understand what is happening, respectfully make this clear to the judge.
• If you need a language or sign language interpreter, make sure to follow the court's procedures to get one.  If for some reason the interpreter is not present in the courtroom, inform the judge or his or her staff.  If an interpreter is not available, a continuance (that is, a postponement) likely will be necessary, and the court must be made aware of this as soon as possible.  If this happens, the judge will want to see that you fulfilled your responsibility by requesting an interpreter in advance of the hearing.

What to Do if You are Dissatisfied with the Judge's Ruling or Jury's Verdict

There are procedures that must be followed if you disagree with a judge's ruling or a jury's verdict and seek to have it reversed, or undone.  You must follow these procedures to preserve your rights. 

In some cases, you will need to file a motion to have the judge reconsider his or her order.  In other cases, you may need to file motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.  In still other cases, you may be required to file an appeal. 

Often, the judge will explain what type of filing is necessary.  If you have questions, ask the judge or contact the Prothonotary or Clerk of Court's office.

Disagreement with a judge's decision or ruling, however, CANNOT form the basis for a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Board.  The Judicial Discipline process addresses unethical or improper conduct by a judge, not the legality or accuracy of a judge's decision or ruling.  More information about the Judicial Discipline process can be found here.