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Appendix I: the opening of court; attorneys' duties, addressing the court, making objections, speaking to the jury and dealing with witnesses, parties and other attorneys; matters not to take place in the presence of the jury; the conduct of persons in the courtroom; and exhibits.
California > Second Appellate District > Ventura County > Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
APPENDIX I: STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT PREAMBLE This rule has been adopted to foster orderly proceedings and respect for the Constitution, state laws, and the court as an institution. Its provisions apply unless an individual judge orders otherwise. A. OPENING OF COURT: 1. As each morning session begins the bailiff shall require all present to rise, then say the following words in a clear and dignified tone: "In the presence of the flag of our country, emblem of the Constitution, and remembering the principles for which it stands, the Superior Court for the County of Ventura is now in session. The Honorable, judge presiding." 2. Upon opening court following a recess the bailiff shall proceed as directed by each judge. B. ATTORNEYS SHOULD: 1. Pursuant to Business and Professions Code §6068(b), "maintain the respect due to the courts of justice and judicial officers". 2. Be familiar with these guidelines as well as other applicable statutes and rules of conduct, ethics, and professionalism. 3. Inform their clients and witnesses, as well as associates and family members of clients and witnesses, of all applicable rules and guidelines for behavior in and around the courtroom, and in relation to other parties, witnesses, and jurors. C. ATTORNEYS ADDRESSING THE COURT: 1. Should address or refer to the court as "your honor" or "the court" rather than as "you" or "judge". 2. Should stand, except during an objection or other brief statement, and should speak from behind a counsel table or lectern. 3. Should not interrupt the court unless absolutely necessary to protect a client's rights. 4. Should accept a ruling without visible reaction, comment, or further argument unless upon request the court has reopened argument. 5. After a ruling in front of a jury, may request to approach the bench for clarification, but should not ask the court to explain its ruling in front of the jury. D. WHEN MAKING AN OBJECTION, ATTORNEYS SHOULD: 1. Only state the legal ground unless further comment is allowed by the court. 2. Address the court, not opposing counsel or a witness. 3. Not interrupt a question unless necessary to protect a client's rights or the partial question is patently objectionable. E. ATTORNEYS SPEAKING TO THE JURY SHOULD NOT: 1. Crowd the jury box or address the jury in a loud or undignified manner. 2. Exhibit familiarity with jurors or address them by name, except during jury selection or a mid-trial inquiry of a juror. F. WITH REFERENCE TO WITNESSES, PARTIES AND OTHER ATTORNEYS, ATTORNEYS SHOULD: 1. Not exhibit familiarity or, except as to young children, use first names. 2. Question from behind counsel table or a lectern unless the court has given permission to approach a witness. 3. Inform their witnesses of any court ruling or order affecting the witness's testimony or conduct. 4. Advise their witnesses to be responsive to questions, but to refrain from answering when an objection is made. 5. Not admonish a testifying witness as to the manner of answering questions but should ask the court to do so. 6. Not, while questioning a witness, make editorial comments of approval or disapproval. G. THE FOLLOWING SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE JURY: 1. Arguments in support of or opposition to an objection. 2. Offers of proof. 3. Offers to stipulate which have not been previously agreed upon between counsel. 4. Discovery requests. H. PERSONS IN THE COURTROOM DURING COURT SESSIONS SHOULD NOT: 1. Dress in a manner that is offensive or distracting to others in attendance. 2. Eat, drink, chew gum, or read newspapers. 3. Converse in a distracting manner. 4. Visibly or audibly display approval or disapproval, agreement or disagreement with any testimony, ruling, or statement of the court, counsel, or a witness. 5. Traverse the area between the bench and counsel table, except with approval of the court. I. EXHIBITS: 1. Should be pre-marked and, if applicable, set up in advance of their use in trial whenever possible, unless expected in good faith to be used for impeachment. 2. Should be shown to the opposing party before their first use in trial. 3. Should be briefly identified by the proponent upon the first reference in trial, but the contents shall not be described. 4. Should, once marked and when not in use in trial, remain in the possession of the court clerk unless the court directs otherwise. 5. Which are in evidence and which the court has permitted to be shown to the jurors, should be handed to the jurors through the bailiff. (Revised effective January 1, 1999)
APPENDIX I: STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT PREAMBLE This rule has been adopted to foster orderly proceedings and respect for the Constitution, state laws, and the court as an institution. Its provisions apply unless an individual judge orders otherwise. A. OPENING OF COURT: 1. As each morning session begins the bailiff shall require all present to rise, then say the following words in a clear a
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-07 (California T4 Ventura build 2026-10-07) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-ventura/docs/general/ventura_county_rules_of_court.pdf (9476523 bytes, sha256 1d89183a36d880b3483586b9c4f3c9554799c2a7bb7bc9907c2200c2b01483c7; 116 pages; this card is from page 78) with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow). The running header (“Ventura County Superior Court Rules”, “July 1, 2026”) and the page numbers removed as chrome; the cover, the judges and officers page, the table of contents, Appendix II (the fee schedule), Appendix III (the local forms lists) and the index belong to no card; Chapters 16, 23, 24 and 27 print only deleted rules (no card); the strike report found no struck text; lines reflowed into the court's paragraphs, each rule heading on its own line; proof 1 (whitespace-only) and proof 2 (same character multiset as the text layer minus chrome) pass.
Division XI: information forms for data processing (Rule 11.2); required action - action taken on all calendared cases and a future date always set (Rule 11.19); and pro tem judges - an attorney named as a plaintiff in a civil or small claims case may not sit as a judge pro-tem during the case or within six months following its resolution, nor one named as a defendant in two or more such cases (Rule 11.22). Rules 11.1, 11.3 to 11.5, 11.7 to 11.18, 11.20 and 11.21 are repealed, and Rule 11.6 (voluntary arbitration; see Local Rule 10.2) was repealed and renumbered.
Duval County's indigent-defense and magistration rules under the Texas Fair Defense Act (S.B. 7): who may be booked into the county jail and on what paper; arrest-case numbering; presentment to a magistrate within 48 hours (art. 15.16); the magistrate's warnings, counsel inquiry, interpreter duty, indigence determination and appointment of counsel within 24 hours of a request; the alternative appointment plan under art. 26.04(g)-(h) with annual applications, seven attorney categories (capital, first and second degree, third degree/state jail/misdemeanor, competency, appeals, post-conviction, extradition), CLE and experience standards, random rotation within each category, written acceptance within 48 hours, first contact by the end of the next working day, replacement and suspension of counsel, fee applications within five days of completing services and the compensation attachment ($500 pleas; $175/$150 hourly; $1,400 per jury-trial day; appellate caps); bail schedules by offense class with a personal bond office (fee $20 or 3%), pre-trial supervision and revocation hearings within two working days; arraignment settings and notice; repeal of conflicting rules.