Illinois Supreme Court Rule — Remote Appearances in Circuit Court Proceedings

Rule 45. Remote Appearances in Circuit Court Proceedings

(v) What standards of decorum will be expected by the circuit for case participants in remote proceedings; and (vi) How the above information will be made available to the public, case participants, and other justice system partners. This should include, but not be limited to: the circuit’s website, posting in public areas, and/or any other easily accessible means. Any amendments to the local rule must be submitted to the Administrative Office prior to implementation. (c) Civil Matters and Criminal Matters That Do Not Involve the Possibility of Jail or Prison Time. (1) Case participants shall be permitted to attend court via the circuit court’s available remote appearance technology without any advance approval, except for the following proceeding types, which shall require the approval of the judge presiding over the matter: (i) Evidentiary hearings, including court-annexed arbitration hearings, except for ex parte evidentiary hearings (such as emergency orders of protection hearings); (ii) Settlement conferences; (iii) Bench trials; (iv) Jury trials; and (v) Any case type or proceeding type exempted from remote participation in accordance with paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(7). (d) Criminal Matters That Involve the Possibility of Jail or Prison Time and Juvenile Delinquency Matters. (1) Case participants shall be permitted to attend court via the circuit court’s available remote appearance technology without any advance approval for the following proceeding types: (i) Initial appearances; (ii) In Juvenile Delinquency Matters, initial or subsequent appearances at which continued detention of a minor will be determined; (iii) Status hearings; (iv) Waiver of a preliminary hearing; (v) Arraignments on an information or indictment at which a plea of not guilty will be entered; (vi) Presentation of a jury waiver; (vii) Non-evidentiary hearings; and (viii) Hearings conducted under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act (725 ILCS 207/1 et seq.) at which no witness testimony will be taken. (2) Case participants shall be permitted to attend the following proceeding types via the circuit court’s available remote appearance technology only with the approval of the judge presiding over the matter. In addition, before the defendant or minor may attend the following -3-

Circuit Court proceedings; civil-only rules remain civil-only. Remote-appearance categories and exceptions must be read in the full rule. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.