Legal Definitions - court calendar

A court calendar is an organized schedule maintained by a court that details all the legal proceedings set to occur on a specific day, week, or month. It serves as a comprehensive list of cases, hearings, motions, and trials that judges and legal professionals must attend, ensuring the orderly progression of justice. This schedule is typically public information, allowing parties involved and interested observers to track upcoming court activities.

• Example 1 (Criminal Arraignment): Imagine a person accused of a minor offense, like a traffic violation or shoplifting. Their defense attorney would consult the local courthouse's calendar to find the exact date, time, and courtroom for their client's arraignment, which is the initial hearing where charges are formally read and a plea is entered.

  Explanation: This illustrates how the court calendar precisely schedules individual criminal proceedings, providing essential information for all parties involved to appear at the correct place and time.

• Example 2 (Civil Motion Hearing): Two companies are engaged in a lawsuit over a breach of contract. One company files a "motion to compel discovery," asking the judge to order the other company to provide certain documents. The court calendar would list the date and time for a hearing where attorneys from both sides will present their arguments to the judge regarding this motion.

  Explanation: This demonstrates the court calendar's role in scheduling intermediate but critical hearings within a civil case, not just the final trial, to resolve disputes over procedural matters.

• Example 3 (Family Law Trial): A divorcing couple cannot agree on the custody arrangements for their children, leading to a contested trial. The judge allocates several full days for this trial to hear testimony from parents, experts, and other witnesses. These specific trial dates, along with the assigned judge and courtroom, are prominently marked on the court's calendar months in advance.

  Explanation: Here, the court calendar is used to block out significant periods for complex, multi-day trials, ensuring that the necessary court resources are reserved and that all parties are aware of the long-term schedule for resolving the dispute.