We are pleased to announce the launch of our Zoom Help page, which provides helpful information about using Zoom and video conferencing technologies to attend court proceedings. The centerpiece of the new page is a two-part video series titled Zooming into the Harris County Courtroom. Videos in the series feature recordings of a mock hearing in Judge Sonya Heath’s Zoom courtroom to provide a realistic representation of the technology in a virtual hearing. Each video also features screen captures to help anyone who has to attend a virtual hearing learn about the hardware and software they will need.
Get Tech Ready for Your Virtual Hearing
The first video helps litigants get tech ready to Zoom into the courtroom. Following the hardware and software requirements described in the 310th District Court’s Policies and Procedures, the video provides an overview of selecting a Zoom-ready device with working speakers, camera, and microphone, finding a stable internet connection, and testing equipment with a Zoom test meeting. It also provides information for litigants who do not have an internet connection at home for locating free WiFi hotspots across Texas using the Texas State Library’s Free Texas WiFi Map.
Zooming to Your Virtual Hearing
The second video in the series helps litigants enter the virtual courtroom and use in-meeting controls while attending the virtual hearing. The backdrop, which is a recording of a mock hearing in Judge Sonya Heath’s virtual courtroom using sample testimony published by TexasLawHelp.org for use in an uncontested divorce case, provides a realistic representation of attending a virtual hearing.
Many Thanks to Our Community Partners!
We would like to thank our collaborative partners who helped create the virtual hearing video series, including Judge Sonya Heath and the 310th District Court, Justice Sarah Beth Landau, the Houston Bar Association Law Library Committee, and TexasLawHelp.org. Additionally, this video series is part of an initiative made possible by a generous grant from the Texas Bar Foundation.