NOTICE RE: REMOTE APPEARANCE PROCEDURES FOR
MAGISTRATE JUDGE KANDIS A. WESTMORE
(Revised January 11, 2024)
POLICY GOVERNING REMOTE APPEARANCES
Case Management Conferences will be held remotely unless otherwise ordered, so the
parties need not request a remote appearance for those proceedings if they will be
appearing by video.
For all other in-person proceedings, a party representative (or a party if pro se) must
appear in person. In the Court’s discretion, however, permission to attend by
videoconference may be granted upon a finding that good cause exists to excuse personal
attendance, and personal attendance is not necessary to have an effective hearing.
Written request must be filed on the case docket at least two weeks in advance of the
hearing. The facts establishing good cause must be set forth in the request, and the party
must simultaneously file a proposed order granting the request. (See Attachment A for a
sample proposed order.)
Use of Zoom: All video appearances must be made through Zoom. The parties must have
their video cameras turned on while their case is called. The Court does not provide
technological support for the platform.
a. Audio-only Appearances: In the event that a party does not have reliable computer or
internet access, they may file a written request to appear by audio-only. (See, supra,
Section I.C.)
Caution
a. At your risk: Individuals making use of the videoconference service do so at their
own risk. Hearings will not generally be rescheduled due to missed connections or
interruptions in service.
b. Failure to respond: If an individual schedules a video appearance and then fails to
respond to the call of a matter on calendar, the Court may pass the matter or may treat
the failure to respond as a failure to appear. Scheduling simultaneous remote
appearances in multiple courts does not excuse a failure to appear.
c. Note: Remote appearances by multiple participants are only possible when there is
compliance with these procedural requirements. Sanctions may be imposed when
there is any deviation from the required procedures or the Court determines that a
person's conduct makes remote appearances inappropriate. Sanctions may include
dropping a matter from calendar, continuing the hearing, proceeding in the absence of
an unavailable participant, a monetary sanction, and/or a permanent prohibition
against a person appearing remotely.
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1 ATTACHMENT A
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4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
5 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
6
7 , Case No.
8 Plaintiff, [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING
REMOTE APPEARANCE
9 v.
10 ,
11 Defendant.
12
Northern District of California
United States District Court
13 [Plaintiff/Defendant]’s motion to appear remotely [Alternatively: by audio-only] at the
14 [Type of proceeding] on [Date] at [Time] is GRANTED.
15 Counsel shall comply with the Court’s Standing Order on Procedures for Remote
16 Appearances, available online at http://cand.uscourts.gov/kaworders.
17 IT IS SO ORDERED.
18 Dated:
19
KANDIS A. WESTMORE
20 United States Magistrate Judge
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