Bailiffs serve as courtroom security personnel. They have to protect the judge and other courtroom staff while also maintaining order in the courtroom. Generally a bailiff stands to the side of the judge and in between the judge and the litigants. When there are disruptions in the courtroom, they have to leave their normal post. Lawyers should not be the cause of this.

Here are three common situations to avoid:

Phones: Particularly in courthouses where people are allowed to bring phones into the courtroom, bailiffs will always instruct people to turn off their phones before the judge enters the courtroom. Invariably, someone’s phone seems to go off in the middle of court. The judge temporarily has to stop speaking while the phone is ringing, and the bailiff has to leave the normal spot between the judge and the litigants to confiscate the phone. That creates two disruptions from the same incident.

Talking in Court: Sometimes lawyers sit next to one another while waiting for their cases, or a lawyer will sit next to the client. I often see people trying to talk in a whisper while court is in session. If the judge sees this occurring, there is the risk of a reprimand. Usually, bailiffs try to preempt this by walking over over to someone in the courtroom and instructing them to stop talking. Rest assured that the judge will take notice.

Talking Too Loud in the Hallway Outside the Courtroom: Particular in courthouses with poor acoustics, conversations among lawyers outside the courtroom can be heard inside the courtroom. When this happens, a bailiff will often leave the courtroom to ask people in the hallway to lower their voices. Generally, bailiffs are much less pleasant the second time they have to make this request.