Rule 77 Conducting Judicial Business
Rule Text
(a) When Court Is Open. The court shall be deemed always open for the filing of any emergency paper, of issuing and returning any emergency process and of making emergency motions and orders, provided, however, that the court shall be opened for regular business on normal business days and during normal business hours, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
(b) Sessions of Court
(1) The court shall hold regular sessions in the judicial division of St. Thomas and St. John at Charlotte Amalie and in the judicial division of St. Croix at Kingshill. The court may hold special sessions at such other places within each judicial division as the nature of the business may require and upon such notice as the Presiding Judge orders.
(2) The Presiding Judge shall designate the days upon which sessions of the court will be held at each place of holding court and the hour at which the court will be in session there.
(c) Place for Trial and Other Proceedings. Every trial on the merits must be conducted in open court and, so far as convenient, in a regular courtroom. Any other act or proceeding may be done or conducted by a judge in chambers, without the attendance of the clerk or other court official, and anywhere inside or outside the Virgin Islands. But no hearing — other than one ex parte — may be conducted outside the Virgin Islands unless all the affected parties consent.
(d) Serving Notice of an Order or Judgment.
(1) Service. Immediately after entering an order or judgment, the clerk must serve notice of the entry, as provided in Rule 5(b), on each party who is not in default for failing to appear. The clerk must record the service on the docket. A party also may serve notice of the entry as provided in Rule 5(b).
(2) Time to Appeal Not Affected by Lack of Notice. Lack of notice of the entry does not affect the time for appeal or relieve — or authorize the court to relieve — a party for failing to appeal within the time allowed, except as allowed by the Virgin Islands Appellate Rule 5(a).