Honorable Christine M. Gravelle

Communication:  Judge Gravelle’s staff may be contacted by telephone, regular mail or email (Chambers_of_CMG@njb.uscourts.gov).  Communication by fax is not permitted except with consent of Judge Gravelle.  For emergency applications, such as applications and orders shortening time, parties should e-file the documents and notify the court by e-mail to the Chamber’s e-mail address.  Parties should be guided by D.N.J. LBR 5071-1 regarding adjournment requests which are to be made three days prior to the hearing.  Adjournment Request forms for Chapter 7 and 11 matters should be emailed to Judge Gravelle's Chambers and Chapter 13 Adjournment Request forms should be submitted to the Standing Chapter 13 Trustee. 

In-Person Appearances:  Judge Gravelle holds in-person hearings, with the option to appear through CourtSolutions in lieu of in-person participation.  This applies to all non-chapter 13 matters. 

Telephonic Appearances: Judge Gravelle is amenable to telephonic appearances.  Prior consent is not necessary but parties are directed to contact their adversary to inform them they will be appearing by telephone.  All requests for telephonic appearances before Judge Gravelle shall be arranged through CourtSolutions, http://www.Court-Solutions.com, no later than 3:00 p.m. the court day prior to the hearing.  To appear telephonically, you will need to create a CourtSolutions' account.  Once you establish an account, you will be able to submit your request to appear telephonically.  This request will either be approved or denied by Judge Gravelle’s chambers.  As long as your request is approved by chambers, you can log into your CourtSolutions' account, prior to the hearing time, and access the large orange button entitled “Open Hearing Dashboard” for your dial-in instructions.  Your dial-in information will be the same for every reservation you make.  For complete information about CourtSolutions, please visit http://help.court-solutions.com.  If you are having call-in or sign-in problems with CourtSolutions, please contact CourtSolutions directly at (917) 746-7476 or email help@Court-Solutions.com.

CHAPTER 13 MATTERS - Telephonic appearances via CourtSolutions applies to the Court's general chapter 13 calendar (held at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.).  PLEASE NOTE the afternoon holdover matters (generally held at 12:00 p.m.), will be conducted remotely via Zoom.  Counsel and parties are further advised to consult the chapter 13 trustee's website regarding disposition of their case and the need for an appearance.  

To ensure the quality of the record, all calls must be made from quiet locations except in the most extreme emergencies. 

Zoom Appearances:  Zoom is a free video conferencing platform that a party may download and become familiar with prior to the hearing. Information for Zoom may be found at https://zoom.us/ and https://zoomgov.com/.  Please ensure that your computer/device settings allow for video and microphone access so that Judge Gravelle may hear and see you.  Once connected to Zoom the party will enter the virtual Zoom Courtroom.  Please connect to Zoom at least 15 minutes prior to your hearing.

ZOOM APPEARANCE GUIDELINES

Courtroom behavior. Although held remotely, a Zoom hearing or trial is a judicial proceeding and therefore the formalities of a courtroom must be observed. Parties are expected to conduct themselves in the same way that they would if they were in person in the courtroom. This includes appropriate formality and attire.

“Public Proceedings.” Please be reminded that the Zoom proceeding is a “public proceeding” and the Zoom connection information is publicly available on the Court’s website.  Thus, any party interested may “listen in” to the Zoom proceeding. Parties who “listen in” must have their cameras off and their microphones muted at all times.  Failure to adhere to this rule will result in removal from the Zoom proceeding.

Video/audio. All video and audio will be off upon entry into the Zoom courtroom.  The Court requests that each party remain muted with camera off until such time as their matter is called or until the Court directs otherwise.  The Court prefers that parties appear with their video on; however, video is not mandatory.  If necessary, parties may appear without video and/or may appear telephonically by dialing into the Zoom using the dial-in information.  Links to the Zoom meeting and dial-in information can be found below.

Speaking and Questions. Each time you speak, identify yourself by stating your full name for the record. Remember to speak slowly and distinctly. Do not interrupt others. As stated above, please remain muted until your case is called or directed otherwise by the Court.  Should you have a question during the Zoom proceeding you may direct that question in the “Chat” or “raise your hand” by clicking the hand raise button.  Questions may also be submitted via email to Judge Gravelle's Chambers at chambers_of_cmg@njb.uscourts.gov.  If you are participating telephonically, please wait for a pause in conversation before identifying yourself to ask a question.

Participate from a quiet place with reliable reception. Do not use a speaker phone or call/log in from a public place. Disruptions or background noise may cause the Judge to mute you or terminate your participation.

Technical Problems. If you are having trouble with the video or audio or other technical difficulties, please let the Court know as soon as possible. Though glitches are expected, they do not always occur on the Court’s end, so the Court will not necessarily know if you are experiencing problems until you so advise the Court.  To report these problems you may use the “chat” feature, the “raise hand” feature, email Chambers at chambers_of_cmg@njb.uscourts.gov, or call Chambers at (609) 858-9370.