VIDEO/ AUDIO HEARINGS

Unless otherwise ordered in a specific case, the court is holding ALL court hearings by video and teleconferencing. 

ALL PERSONS ARE PERMITTED TO APPEAR BY ZOOM VIDEO AND TELECONFERENCING, but may appear in person if desired or necessary due to lack of technology. 

In-person appearances are permitted.  The Court has two "Zoom Rooms" that allow participants to interact fully with those appearing remotely. 

***************************************************************************
ZOOM COURT HEARINGS:

VIDEO CALL WEBSITE:
https://zoom.us/JOIN

Meeting ID:  850 926 3884  
Video Password:  court

AUDIO CALL
Telephone Dial-in: 1 (253) 215-8782 OR 1 (669) 900-9128
Meeting ID: 850 926 3884 
No password is required on the telephone

****************************************************************************

VIDEO AND TELECONFERENCING

The Court is using Zoom (website: zoom.us) for video and teleconferencing FOR ALL TYPES OF COURT HEARINGS. All defendants, attorneys, and members of the public are expected to participate in court hearings by Zoom or by calling the main court number.

  • Video appearance. Video appearance by Zoom is possible with a computer with video and sound capability or with a smart phone (such as iPhone or android models).
  • Audio-only appearance. If you do not have video capability, you may appear by telephone by calling the Zoom phone number.
  • Video by Zoom/ Audio by Phone. For those with spotty internet/ WIFI connection, it may work better to connect to zoom with video only on the computer (you can select to turn off audio) and dial-in by telephone for the audio portion. This way, if the video connection freezes, you will not loose audio or get disconnected, but you can still see the participants.
  • Technical Problems. If there are technical problems with the Zoom phone number provided, the participant can call the court number at 206-842-5641 and let the clerk know what is happening.
  • Directions on Using Zoom. Directions on using this platform are located here.

EXPECTATIONS OF THE COURT

  • Good Cellular Reception. You are expected to call from an area where you have good reception if you are using a cell phone, even if that means walking or driving there in advance of the hearing.
  • No Vehicle Travel. You may not be driving or riding in a vehicle during your call.
  • Quiet Place. You should choose a quiet place to call from, free of distractions
  • Charged Device. Make sure your computer or phone is charged and/or plugged in.
  • Dress Appropriately. You should dress and behave as you would for court typically.

HEARINGS

  • Contact the Court. When you receive your summons in the mail, you should contact the court via email at court@bainbridgewa.gov and provide your name, hearing date, address, email, and whether you can join the hearing by video or phone. The phone number to call the court is 206-842-5641.
  • Public Defender Application. If you have an arraignment hearing and believe you are eligible for the public defender, the Indigency Screening Form must be completed and returned to court at least one week in advance of the hearing.  The public defender will try to contact you by phone and/or email prior to your hearing, if we have the correct contact information. 
  • Interpreter. If you need an Interpreter, email or call the Clerk to inform them what language you need.
  • Review Paperwork. Review all court paperwork prior to the hearing.  Have paperwork in front of you at your hearing.
  • Prepare for Video/ Audio Court. If you can appear by video, go to zoom.us, click on Resources and “Download Zoom Client”. Choose “Zoom Client for Meetings”. The Zoom installer.exe will appear in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Click on it to run or open it. If you are using a smartphone, download the Zoom Cloud Meetings App.
  • Pictorial on Using Zoom on Computer and Smartphone

All court participants shall appear by video conference whenever possible. If it is not possible to appear via video connection by smartphone or computer, then participants shall appear by calling on the phone. The public defender will be present on the video conference to consult with defendants and provide representation for arraignments and if appointed for continued representation.

DOCUMENTS FOR COURT HEARINGS

All documents from attorneys, defendants, or litigants must arrive at the court no later than noon the day before. Copies of documents MUST be served on the other party prior to the hearing. If documents DO NOT arrive in time, they will not be considered at the hearing and the court may not grant a continuance based on the late submission. 

Documents may be sent to the court by:  

Drop off at Physical Address: 10255 NE Valley Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (do not mail to this address)
Email: court@bainbridgewa.gov
Mail: Bainbridge Island Municipal Court, PO Box 151, Rollingbay, WA 98061
FAX:  206-842-0316

HOW DO I SIGN DOCUMENTS?

There are so many resources available on computer and smartphone. The tutorials below are just SOME of the available options. Old-fashioned signing and mailing of documents may be required if these technologies aren’t available.