Your Court Experience: What to Expect

Understanding and making your way through the court process can be challenging.  There are extensive state and local court rules and everyone appearing before the Municipal Court is expected to follow them.  

Parking is free and conveniently located at the Monroe Municipal Campus at 806 W. Main Street. 

For everyone's safety, you will be required to pass through a security screening checkpoint prior to your entry into the courtroom.  Weapons of any kind are prohibited.  Please plan your arrival time accordingly so that you are on time for your court appearance.  

Please remove all hats. 

Food and drinks are not allowed in the courtroom. 

Please silence all cell phones or other electronic devices. 

Courts are required to provide free language access services to all individuals in civil and criminal court proceedings.  Please contact us for assistance. 

Court decorum is necessarily formal, but it need not keep people from being seen and heard.  Please inform the court of your preferred pronouns so that the court may respectfully address you.  

Please treat court staff, attorneys, other court participants, and our Judge with courtesy.  

Court Terminology

1.  Calendar (sometimes called a Docket) - list of cases arranged for hearing in court.

2.  Complaint/Citation - a document that starts a criminal prosecution or a civil matter. 

3.  Ex parte - a Latin phrase indicating action done for, on behalf of, or on the application of one party only without notice to the opposing party. 

4.  Motion - a formal request usually in writing made by a party to a court for an order granting relief; a formal written request of the court. 

5.  Order - a direction or command delivered by a court and entered into the court record. 

6.  Petition - a formal written application to the court requesting a remedy available under the law. 

7.  Pro se - a Latin phrase meaning "for oneself" referring to people who represent themselves.

8.  Summons -  notification of a mandatory court appearance. 

Persons with disabilities

Per our civil rights policies, we are committed providing accessibility to our building and services to everyone. To help us to accommodate persons with a disability, please contact us 360-863-4548 prior to your visit.