INSTRUCTIONS FOR REMOTE HEARINGS

Beginning May 1, 2025, Judge Papalia will conduct virtual or remote hearings via Zoom. This includes his regular Tuesday and Thursday Chapter 7 and 11 motion calendars and his Chapter 13 calendar (see the Motions tab for more information).

APPEARANCES:

 In-Person Appearances:  Parties are welcome and encouraged to attend hearings on contested matters in person. Please consult the District Court’s website for up-to-date information regarding Courthouse admission:

Zoom Appearances: Parties may request to appear by Zoom or telephonically by sending an email to Chambers_of_vfp@njb.uscourts.gov by no later than 3pm one (1) business day prior to the scheduled hearing.

Telephonic Appearances: Parties wishing to participate telephonically only (i.e. without video) may request to appear by Zoom or telephonically by sending an email to Chambers_of_vfp@njb.uscourts.gov by no later than 3pm one (1) business day prior to the scheduled hearing.

Please review the Zoom Appearance Guidelines below.  Failure to adhere to these guidelines and the appropriate standard of conduct may result in denial of participation in the Zoom proceeding.  

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 Papalia may hear and see you.  To appear via Zoom parties may click on the Zoom link below or use a telephone to dial-in using the dial-in information.  Once connected to Zoom the party will enter the virtual Zoom Courtroom.  Please connect to Zoom at least 5 minutes prior to your hearing.

Hearing Recording Prohibited: Any recording of a court proceeding held in-person, by video, teleconference or Zoom, including "screen-shots" or other audio or visual copying of a hearing, is prohibited.  Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court.

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 personal video and audio must be off upon entry into the Zoom courtroom.  The Court requests that each party on Zoom 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.  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_vfp@njb.uscourts.gov, or call Chambers at (973) 368-1246.