Sherine E. Thomas

Travis County courtrooms support PowerPoint, digitized exhibits, taped depositions, video evidence, document-camera material, and laptop presentations, but counsel must first obtain the judge's permission before routing a laptop presentation to the courtroom displays.

YOU MUST FIRST make sure the Judge is ok with you presenting. Then the Judge will have to unlock the video routing source button for you to use it.

Virtual or hybrid hearings, trials, and witness appearances must be arranged in advance and approved by the court.

Any requests for hybrid or virtual options for hearings/trials/witnesses must be pre-arranged and approved by the Court.

District-court hearings and trials are in person by default. A remote proceeding requires agreement of all parties or a good-cause finding, and arrangements must be made before the proceeding.

All hearings and trials (proceedings) will be in person unless (a) all parties agree ... or (b) a judge finds good cause to determine that a remote proceeding is appropriate.

In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.

Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).

Travis County uses a central civil docket. Unless a case is specially assigned, an available judge may hear a hearing or trial regardless of the district court in which the case was filed.

hearings and trials are assigned to available judges without regard to the court in which the case is filed.

Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.

A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances: