• Courthouse Policies  
• Courtroom Conduct  
• Firearm Policy  
• Prisoner Transport Policy  

Courtroom Conduct Required of All Persons
All persons in the courtroom during trials and other proceedings shall be attentive to the proceedings and shall refrain from any action which may disrupt the proceedings. Therefore, all persons shall comply with the following:

1. All persons shall be appropriately attired for court proceedings.

All persons entering the courtroom shall be dressed in clothing reasonably befitting the dignity and solemnity of court proceedings. Tank tops, T-shirts, shorts, thongs, and clothing that is tattered or soiled are among those items of clothing not considered appropriate courtroom attire. No hats, caps or sunglasses shall be worn in the courtroom.  Clothing should not be unduly revealing or otherwise distracting.

2. No tobacco use in any form is permitted.
3. No bottles, beverage containers, paper cups or edibles are allowed in the courtroom, except as permitted by the Court.
4. No gum chewing is permitted.
5. No propping of feet on tables, chairs, or benches is permitted.
6. No talking or unnecessary noise is permitted which interferes with the court proceeding.
7. All persons shall rise when the judge enters the courtroom, and at such other times as the bailiff shall instruct.
8. No person shall bring packages, suitcases, boxes, duffel bags, shopping bags or containers into the courtroom without the prior approval of the bailiff.
9. No person shall be permitted any verbal or physical contact with a prisoner without the prior approval of the bailiff.
10. No person shall bring radios, tape recorders, computers, cameras, cellular telephones, pagers or other electronic devices into the courtroom unless the device is required for the court proceeding and prior approval has been given by the bailiff or the Court.

Prisoner Transport Policy

1).  All persons who are in custody and brought before the Tioga County Court of  Common Pleas will be handcuffed and restrained by use of a transport belt.  This same policy  applies to persons who are brought before county Magisterial Courts.

2).  All persons who are sentenced to immediate incarceration will be removed from the courtroom searched and restrained both with handcuffs and a transport belt.

3).  All persons who are in custody and brought to the courthouse for any court related hearing, conference, meeting or other matter shall be restrained by both handcuffs  and a transport belt.

4).  Persons in custody who have a conference with their attorneys will be restrained  by handcuffs and a transport belt.  Restraints will not be removed unless directed by the Court.                    

5).  In the event a person is held in custody and a court action releases this person he  will remain handcuffed with a transport belt pending return to the correctional  facility pending release processing.

6).  In the event the Judge releases a person immediately from the bench with no further out processing required, the person will have the restraints removed after the  person is removed to a safe environment.