Witness Information

Dress Code in the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court

It is necessary to establish this Court's policy regarding appropriate dress or attire in Court. Appropriate attire (clothing) is required to enter the courtroom. Persons wearing clothing such as, but not limited to, shorts, clothing with offensive language, revealing clothing or tank tops will not be permitted in the Courtroom.

Parties and essential witnesses will be required to go home and change clothes, if practical and if it does not hinder the timely and efficient administration of justice. If the return home to change clothes is not practical, the individual will be required to wear jail or detention center clothing. Only in exceptional circumstances, will a case be continued because of inappropriate attire.

Individuals not essential to the case will not be permitted in the courtroom in inappropriate attire. Courtroom deputies shall deny entry into the courtroom by persons inappropriately dressed.

Electronic & Food Guidelines

Further, there shall be no:

• Any type of chewing gum or candy
• Audible beepers
• Cameras
• Cell phones
• Recording devices

If the violation is flagrant and egregious enough or continuous, the individual violator may be held in contempt of Court, which may result in a jail sentence and/or fine (18.12-456 of the Code of Virginia).

Juveniles in Caroline Juvenile & Domestic Relations (JDR) Court

There are no daycare facilities available in the Caroline Courts Building for Children. The only persons under 18 years of age who are permitted in the Courtroom are defendants in a traffic or delinquency case or juveniles who are witnesses in a traffic, delinquency, criminal case, or civil case when they are testifying.