Rule 4.040 Remote Appearance in Lieu of Transportation

If someone is in jail in one county but has cases in other counties too, they usually won't need to be physically transported to those other courts. Instead, they can appear by phone or video for those other cases. This applies when the person has worked out an agreement to resolve all their cases across the different counties.

The idea behind this rule is to save time and avoid the cost and hassle of moving someone in custody from jail to a different courthouse just for one hearing. As long as both sides agree to resolve the cases, the courts outside the county where the person is actually being held will let them appear remotely.

There is an exception. If there's a good reason why someone needs to physically show up in person, the court can still require that. But the general rule favors remote appearances in these situations, unless someone can show why that won't work.