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Don't write to the judge about your case directly. Contacting a judge about a pending case without the other side present is ex parte communication: judges won't read such letters, and may return them or share them with all parties. File with the clerk and serve copies on every party instead. This is general information, not legal advice.
Judges are required to decide cases on what's presented in the courtroom and in the official record, with both sides hearing everything. A private letter arguing your side breaks that rule: the other party can't respond to something they never saw. That's why chambers staff screen judicial mail: letters about a pending case from a party (or their family) are typically rejected, returned unread, or disclosed to all sides, which can embarrass you and, in some situations, draw sanctions. The rule applies whether you're represented or not, and it applies to email and phone calls just as much as letters.
The proper channel is the clerk. Filings (motions, responses, notices) go to the clerk's office, enter the case record, and get served on every other party. That is how the court hears from you. A letter directly to the judge's chambers is not a filing, doesn't enter the record, and won't be treated as one no matter how clearly you write "please file this" on it.
Plenty of court correspondence has nothing to do with arguing a case, and that's where letters are the right tool. Common legitimate examples:
Notice the pattern: these go to the clerk's office or a court department, not to the judge personally, and none of them argues the merits of a case.
| Situation | Do this instead of writing the judge |
|---|---|
| Want the judge to know your side | File a motion with the clerk; serve copies on all parties |
| Need a hearing date changed | File a motion to continue (or follow the court's scheduling procedure): don't ask by letter |
| Jury duty conflict | Write to the jury office/clerk as your summons instructs: this is proper |
| Need copies of court records | Write to the clerk's office with the case name and number: this is proper |
| Sentencing support letter | Only through the procedure the court or defense counsel sets up |
Court staff process enormous volumes of paper, so make their job easy. Put the full case name and case number on everything: without it, your letter may sit in a pile nobody can route. Address it to the office ("Clerk of Court," "Jury Services"), not to a person, unless you've been told otherwise. Keep it short, factual, and dated, and keep a copy of everything you send. If a rule or your summons says to include a certificate of service (a statement that you sent copies to the other parties), include it: clerks check for these.
One practical note: court clerks can't give legal advice. They can tell you which form to file and what the fee is; they can't tell you what to write or whether your argument is any good. If you're unsure which procedure applies, that's what a lawyer consultation is for.
Yes, for the appropriate kinds: jury duty requests, records requests, and other administrative letters to the clerk's office. LetterAgent's registered option (US Certified Mail / Canada Registered Mail) adds tracking and proof of delivery, which is worth having for anything with a deadline. What LetterAgent can't do is fix the ex parte problem: if the letter shouldn't go to the judge in the first place, no mailing method makes it proper.
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