Judge Philip P. Simon 5400 Federal Plaza Suite 4400 Hammond, IN 46320 (219) 852-6740 Telephonic Hearings Occasionally, the Court may decide that it is in the best interest of the parties, and the most efficient use of judicial resources, to conduct certain hearings via telephonic conference call. When the Court sets a telephonic status conference, the parties are required to do the following: 1.    Contact the Court’s Courtroom Deputy as soon as possible, but no later than two days in advance of the conference call, to provide the phone number at which counsel should be contacted for the call. The Court will initiate these calls and it is imperative that it have the appropriate telephone numbers. Failure to provide proper contact information to the Courtroom Deputy may result in the Court holding the conference in the absence of the party that failed to comply. 2.    An individual must identify himself or herself prior to speaking during the conference. These conferences are typically transcribed by a court reporter and identification of the speaker is necessary in order to accurately transcribe the conference. Even if a speaker has previously identified himself or herself on the call, the speaker is advised to continue to do so each time he or she speaks. Counsel and the parties are to treat these conferences with the same seriousness as in-court appearances. The Court considers telephonic status conferences to be an optional courtesy the Court extends to the parties and to counsel. Failure to abide by these rules will result in the Court requiring in-person attendance for all subsequent conferences.

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