How long is a hearing and what time do I need to log on?

Unfortunately, there really is no exact way of knowing how long a hearing will take. 

Witnesses are asked to be present and available for a sound and technology check at the start of the hearing, but will remain in the digital waiting room until it is time for them to testify. 

The witness phase of the hearing will begin after the Complainant and Respondent have each had a chance to share information regarding their experiences and ask questions of one another.  Sometimes this portion of the hearing is very brief, allowing the witness phase to begin fairly quickly, but other times the parties may testify for an extended period, which means you could be waiting less than 30 minutes, or for an hour or more.  You are welcome to mute your sound and video and work on other tasks while in the digital waiting room, as long as you are available as soon as the participants are ready for you to testify.

In the event that you are unable to be available soon after the start of the hearing or have a scheduling conflict for portions of it, be sure to inform our office and the party who asked you to testify as soon as possible so that we can attempt to coordinate your participation around your availability. After you answer questions during the witness phase of the hearing, you won’t have any additional involvement in the hearing and will be asked to leave the digital hearing room.