Preparing to Participate in a Zoom Video ConferenceImportant: Any recording of a court proceeding held by video or teleconference, including “screen-shots” or other visual copying of a hearing, is absolutely prohibited. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the court. If you will be a case participant (aka “panelist”) in a Zoom video conference with the court (i.e., an attorney, witness, case party, etc.), please follow the guidance below, as adequate preparation and testing of the system will help ensure a good experience for everyone involved. Case participants/panelists will receive login information directly from the court. Panelist login information is not public and must not be shared with anyone other than the appearing attorneys and other direct participants in the court proceeding. Show If you will be an attendee of a Zoom video conference with the court (i.e., a member of the press or public, or other non-participating observer), please follow this guidance, although much of the guidance below will still be helpful. Login information for attendees will be available on PACER or on the presiding judge’s calendar. Attendees will be able to see and/or hear the court proceeding in the same manner as the participants, and will have a similar experience to sitting in the courtroom gallery. Please note that some proceedings may provide phone-only connectivity via Zoom or other means, and that hearings may be limited to a total of 100 panelists and attendees combined. For security and enforcement of court standards, the court may disable some Zoom interactions (such as chat, screen share, whiteboard, Q&A, raise hand, react, etc.). The court will not provide technical support for Zoom participants or attendees. Please contact the Zoom Help Center, your local IT support, or other online guidance. Zoom Account and Software
Settings Zoom has a lot of settings, and as the system updates, certain aspects or features may change. Below are a few settings recommended by the court to improve your video conference.
Learning The court will likely use only the audio and video functionality of Zoom. Other functions such as text chat, screen sharing, etc., will likely be disabled for your session, and you need only learn the basics of observing or participating in a Zoom Webinar by audio or video. Consult the following sources to learn how to select the correct audio and video source, how to mute/unmute your audio, and and how to Start/Stop your video:
Recommendations
Before Every Court Session using Zoom
If you will be performing remote language interpretation for the court:
Please note that for some proceedings, consecutive interpreting will be required due to technical limitations between certain locations. For these, you will be brought into the Zoom as a regular participant, similar to an open party-line call. Where is the US District court for the Western District of Texas?The District's 68 counties are divided into seven division offices which correspond to the seven judicial divisions of the U.S. District Courts. The District headquarters is located in the San Antonio Division Office.
How many US district courts are in Texas?Trial: There are four federal district courts in Texas. They consist of the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Texas, the Southern District of Texas, and the Western District of Texas.
What does the District Court do in Texas?District courts have original jurisdiction in felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, civil matters in which the amount of money or damages involved is $200 or more, and any matters in which jurisdiction is not placed in another trial court.
How do I look up federal cases in Texas?Federal case files are maintained electronically and are available through the internet-based Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service. PACER allows anyone with an account to search and locate appellate, district, and bankruptcy court case and docket information. Register for a PACER account.
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