Finding Legal Help

You are not required to hire an attorney, but legal matters can be complicated. Consider talking to an attorney to go over your options. See the Finding Legal Help page for information about free and low cost ways to get legal help. 

Como encontrar ayuda legal

Usted no está obligado a contratar un abogado, pero los asuntos legales pueden ser complicados. Considere la posibilidad de hablar con un abogado para hablar de sus opciones. Para información sobre cómo obtener ayuda legal vea nuestra página Como encontrar ayuda legal.

Seventh District and Juvenile Court COVID-Response

The Seventh District Court is adapting current practices in order to continue to provide the public with services during this period of social distancing in response to the Novel Coronavirus.

We have developed methods for remote contact with the Court and with the Juvenile Probation Department in order to adhere to recommendations from the Utah Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and comply with the Administrative Order for Court Operations during pandemic. Additional information about these recommendations and the status of court operations throughout the state may be accessed at the Utah State Courts Alerts and Information website.

In order to better protect the community against the spread of the Novel Coronavirus through adequate social distancing, many hearings will be held remotely. Additional safety measures will be in place for in person hearings. The court clerk will provide you with specific instructions as the date of your hearing approaches. If you have not provided your email address to the court, please do so by sending an email to the email address found below for your local court. To verify when your hearing will be held, you may search the Court Calendars online. If you are not able to locate the needed information or require clarifying information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You may reach a member of the Juvenile Probation staff by calling their office directly at the following numbers, or via email at 7thjuvprobdocs@utcourts.gov.

Courthouse Visits

Should you find it necessary to visit your local District or Juvenile Court, please be aware of the following measures to best protect yourself and others against the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus. If you have specific questions regarding a location please contact the clerk's office at the number listed above.

• All persons entering the court facility must wear a suitable face covering.
• If your doctor has advised you against wearing a face covering and you're instructed to appear personally at court, you should bring with you documentation from your medical provider to enter without a face covering. The courthouse will offer you the temporary use of a face shield. If entering without a face covering you should strictly follow the social distancing guidelines. If you are not required to be present in person, please consider remote opportunities as these will reduce your risk of exposure.
• Individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not recovered or who show symptoms of COVID-19, and anyone who has had sustained close contact with such individuals, may not enter the courthouse.
• As part of the process your temperature may be taken with a no-touch thermometer. Your answers to screening questions and temperature are not recorded nor will they be reported to any other person. However, individuals who register a temperature above 100.4 or who have symptoms or who have tested positive for Covid-19 will be unable to appear personally in the courthouse.
• Remote opportunities for accessing court services and participating in court procedures are available. Please contact your local court office via the phone number or email address listed on this page for additional information and assistance.
• One necessary measure to ensure continuity during the COVID outbreak has been to limit the number of staff who enter the courthouse on a given day of the week. This has resulted in frequent front counter closures during the noon hour.

All Seventh District court sites undergo careful cleaning each evening. Additionally, hand sanitizer is provided to the public in the lobby and other areas that are frequented. When in-person court proceedings are conducted, cleaning supplies are provided for each participant to allow you to address your area to your satisfaction.

In order to allow for social distancing and to protect those who are in a high risk category for covid exposure, the court will limit the number of persons in the courtroom at one time and may recommend that others wait in the lobby or even outside the building. If others wish to participate in or observe court proceedings, they may do so via a remote connection that can be achieved with the use of a laptop, tablet, smartphone or other internet capable device. In circumstances where internet service is not available, patrons are invited to access the court provided public wifi. Please arrive sufficiently early to join and connect to the free wifi service.

Electronic Filing of Documents

In order to effectively practice social distancing, self-represented litigants (sometimes referred to as pro-se litigants) and individuals who do not have access to e-filing may electronically file motions and other pleadings by emailing an image (must be in PDF format) of the filing to one of the email addresses listed above. Forms specific to the Seventh District are available below. If you do not find what you are looking for, you may search through all available forms on the court's website using the search box at the top of the page. Self-represented litigants may file, via email, protective order requests, stalking injunction requests, and pleadings in existing cases, without a handwritten signature. Instead, you should type your name and the date on the signature line provided on the form.

For tips on how to scan documents from your phone, click here. For additional instructions on how to file a protective order or stalking injunction, please see the Filing Documents by Email page. For additional instructions on how to file a pleading on an existing case, see the Filing Documents by Email page. To initiate a case, please contact a court clerk at the phone number or email address listed above.

Remote Hearings

All hearings will be conducted remotely unless an in-person hearing is proven necessary. Our remote hearing technology allows for either video or telephone appearance. Both of these functions allow participants to connect via a cellphone, tablet, or laptop. Prior to your remote hearing, your attorney will send you an email containing a link or phone number and access code so that you can either click to connect or dial in to join the hearing. If you do not have an attorney the court will send you an email with the necessary information. If you have not received a link for an upcoming court appearance, please look for your name and video link on the Court Calendar or request the link via the email address listed at the top of this page. For video appearances, there are free apps for android and apple devices to allow for video connections. If you will appear remotely by video, please prepare by downloading the app prior to the hearing and please verify that your webcam (if needed), internal microphone and speakers are activated. If you do not have the means to appear by video or phone, please contact your attorney or the court clerk for accommodations.

If you wish to request a change in the status of your hearing, ie: remote to in-court or vice versa please contact your legal counsel or, if you do not have legal counsel, you may contact the courthouse via the phone number or email listed above.

Communication

Much of your communication with the Courts will be best facilitated if you have provided us with a current email address. If you have not provided the courts with an active email address, but wish to do so, please send an email address to the appropriate email from the list above. Please put the words "New Email Address" in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name, mailing address, phone number and case number (if known)

COVID Precautions in the Courtroom

• Attendance for court hearings will be remote via Webex unless you are specifically instructed by the court to appear in person. Links for remote hearings will be sent to you by your attorney unless you are self-represented.
• The court provides cleaning materials to any person in the courtroom so that they can wipe down surfaces with which they come in contact.
• Parties do not need to whisper to each other at the counsel table:
  • The judge will advise you of your options to:
    • request brief recesses in order to speak privately in a conference room provided
    • Pass notes to one another
    • Other form of communication
• Unless otherwise advised previous to the hearing, parties do not need to submit copies of evidence to be marked during court. Evidence should instead be submitted electronically to the clerk before the hearing date. The in-court clerk will have hard copies of all electronically submitted evidence to be processed during the hearing.
  • Additional time is needed to safely handle any items submitted during court hearings. The in-court clerk will be required to put on gloves and place any item submitted into a clear container.
• Parties must practice social distancing by maintaining a distance of six feet at all times. Do not approach the clerk, the judge, or the witness without explicit permission from the court. Wear an appropriate face covering.
• In order to allow for social distancing and to protect those who are in a high risk category for covid exposure, the court will limit the number of persons in the courtroom and may recommend that others wait in the lobby or even outside the building. If others wish to participate in or observe court proceedings, they may do so via a remote connection that can be achieved with the use of a laptop, tablet, smartphone or other internet capable device. In circumstances where internet service is not available, patrons are invited to access the court provided public wifi. Please arrive early to join and connect to the free wifi service.
• In order to eliminate courtroom doors as “touch points” the bailiff will prop open the inner and outer doors of the courtroom at times when patrons are entering or exiting the courtroom, and at the conclusion of a hearing when another hearing is being called. For security, privacy, and to avoid noise interference for court proceedings and the record, the locking outer doors will be closed during court proceedings.

Payments

Fine and restitution payments may be made online using our ePayments system. You will need to know your case number. If you do not know your case number or correct court (i.e. Moab District) please call or email us. If you wish to request an extension on your payments or other probation conditions, please contact us

Juror Qualification Questionnaire

Jury Trials may be held when a court site is in the Yellow or Green phases of the Court's Risk Response Plan. See the Alerts and Information webpage for the current status of each county. The Court's risk response plan color is different from the Governor's pandemic color phases. Jury Trials will be conducted in accordance with the Court's Risk Response Plan and any applicable public health orders and may include some remote appearances in order to maintain the safety of all parties, jurors and the public. To electronically fill out your juror qualification questionnaire, please click here.