Rule 15 Expedition of Court Business

Here's what this rule means for people with a case in circuit court.

If your case gets settled, your attorney must tell the court right away. Courts schedule their time based on which cases are still active. If a case is actually settled but the court doesn't know, it wastes time and court resources planning for a hearing or trial that isn't going to happen. If an attorney sits on this news and doesn't tell the court promptly, the court can punish the attorney for it.

The rule also covers attorneys who don't show up or aren't ready. If your attorney is supposed to be in court for a hearing, motion, or trial and just doesn't show up without a good reason, the court can discipline them. The same goes for attorneys who show up but haven't prepared, forcing the judge to delay or reschedule the case. Courts depend on attorneys doing their part on time so cases move forward without unnecessary delays.

Basically, this rule is about keeping cases moving efficiently. It puts responsibility on attorneys to communicate with the court and to be ready when their case is called. If they don't, the court has the power to hold them accountable.