How to Prepare Yourself for Court

Assistive Strategies

Before your day in court, tell your lawyer about any assistive devices or strategies you require so they can advise the court beforehand. You may have to provide medical documentation about your need for these devices or services. 

Your needs may include:

• If you have a mobility issue and require assistive devices to help you get around.
• If you have a physical disability (invisible) and have trouble standing up or have difficulty sitting still for an extended time. 
• If you need to wear sunglasses due to light sensitivity (the lighting in courtrooms can be very harsh).
• If you have noise sensitivity and need noise cancelling headphones.  
• Any self soothing strategies you use.
• If you require an interpreter 
• If you need communication support, talk to your lawyer about a communication intermediary. https://www.cdacanada.com/resources/access-to-justice-communication-intermediaries/

Learn how to get to court:

• Make a plan of how to get to court and do a travel trial there before your actual court date. Use an app to help find your way and / or write down directions.
• Your paperwork will tell you what courtroom you are in, try and find the room during your trial visit so you know where to go on your actual court date.
• Make sure you have bus tickets available if you are going by public transit or make alternative travel arrangements (such as a ride to and from court by someone you trust) for your actual court date.

Find Extra Support

• Ask about mental health diversion programs and any other support services i.e. Elizabeth Fry and Salvation Army onsite for support (You can ask your lawyer, call 211 or call BIST to get this information).
• Ask someone you trust for help to create a list of items to bring before hand (printable checklist of what to bring to court).
• Ask the person you trust to remind you about your court date.
• Ask someone you trust (a friend, family member or support worker) to come with you to court. 

Get everything you need to bring with you to court ready the night before, such as:

• Devices you need to limit triggers such as sound and lighting (headphones, earplugs, self soothing devices, sunglasses etc.) You may need medical documentation to be allowed to do this - advise your lawyer ahead of time about any needs you have.
• A lunch or a snack, as you may be in court all day.
• A water bottle to stay hydrated
• Bus tickets if you are taking public transit.
• Any medications you may need.
• Your court binder and any other needed documents, including paperwork which tells you what courtroom you are in. 
• Your accessibility identification card with you to help explain assistance you may require.  

**Remember to**

• Set reminders of your court date on your phone.
• Allow yourself extra time to get to court if you have a physical impairment which requires more time to walk or if you fatigue easily
• Try to get a good night’s sleep the evening before court.
• Come to court ON TIME on your court date.

Challenge # 1 Long Wait Times:

There are many cases scheduled for the same time frame. Be prepared to wait, as it could be a couple of hours before you are called.

Strategies: 

• Let your lawyer and or support person know if you are leaving the area to take a break.
• Talk to someone about how you are feeling, scared, nervous etc.
• Stay hydrated and well nourished.

Challenge # 2 - Remand

Sometimes proceedings are pushed to another day, which is called remanded and can happen often. The court will provide a new date to come back.  

Strategy:

• Write down your new date and /or input in your phone calendar, set an alarm in your phone the day before your court date. 
• Take a picture of the paper with your new court date and tell someone you trust to help remind you about this date. You can also text them the picture.

Challenge # 3 -  The Courtroom Environment 

The Courtroom is open to the public, people can be walking in and out the entire time. The proceedings may be hard to follow, or feel overwhelming. 

Strategies: 

• It is important to pace yourself, ask your lawyer how many times you can ask for breaks.
• Use strategies for support and sooth
• Use assistive devices such as sunglasses and headphones

These dollar store items can help with stress in situations which may cause you anxiety

–  Have these items nearby to help reduce anxiety and improve focus –

Breath mint & Hand lotion

Breath mints can be grounding tools, once you put it in your mouth try to focus on the taste and coolness.

This also works with hand lotion – as you put it on focus on how it feels on your skin.  This works with both scented and unscented cream.

Stress Balls

Stress balls can help alleviate nervous energy. Try rolling the ball across your leg or arm, or squish it between your hands.

Try a variety of squish balls, such as balls that are heavier in weight, different textures, and ones that make noise to see what works best for you.

Coil bracelets and Rubber Bands!

If you are distracted easily try wearing elastic bands or coil bracelets on your wrists. The snapping of the rubber bands can help decrease unwanted thoughts, alleviate anxiety and help you focus.

Cold Water & Ice Pack

If you become overwhelmed, overheated, or if you feel dizzy, light headed, irritated, or anxious, try an ice pack or drink a cold glass of water. The reason for the cold water and/or the cold ice pack is that the temperature change can bring down your emotional stress level.

Watch more about Support & Sooth

Any item which could be used as, or considered, a weapon is not allowed in court. Some examples of items which are not allowed in court include:

• Toy guns or imitation firearms
• Any type of knife, including: razor blades, swords, belt buckle knives etc.
• Scissors with blades longer than 6 cm 
• Hypodermic needles, syringes or auto-injectors unless it is for personal medical use, and the needle guard is in place.
• Slingshots
• Martial arts equipment
• Animal sprays

You can find a complete list of banned items below. 

https://www.cas-satj.gc.ca/en/about/security-screening.shtml#tips

Check your pockets and knapsack before leaving your home to ensure you don’t have any of these items on you. 

Work Tools. Work tools that could be used to either cause serious injury or threaten the safety of personnel, including:

• Crowbars or hammers
• Drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills
• Tools with shafts longer than 6cm (excluding the handle that could be used as weapons, such as screwdrivers and chisels
• Saws - including cordless portable power saws
• Blowtorches or gas torches
• Bolt guns and nail guns

Blunt Objects. Blunt objects that could be used to cause serious injury when used to hit, including:

• Martial arts weapons – including nunchaku, kusari & kubatons
• Geometrically shaped hard weights or hand grips linked by a length or lengths of rope, cord, wire or chain
• Metal or plastic knuckles
• Sporting bats
• Golf clubs, billiard cues, ski poles
• Hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks
• Whips or Chains
• Clubs and batons - including billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks

Incapacitating Sprays or Gases.  Including:

• Mace
• Pepper Spray and derivatives (Oleoresin Capsicum)
• Tear gas or choking gas
• Vomiting agents (Diphenylchlorarsine(DC))
• Nerve agents (VX, Sarin or Cyclosarin)
• Acid sprays
• Animal repellent sprays

Firearms. Devices designed to cause serious injury by launching harmful objects or items that could be mistaken for such a device, including:

• Pistols, revolvers, rifles & shotguns
• Compressed air and CO2 guns - including pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns
• Toy, replica and imitation firearms that could be mistaken for real
• Signal flare pistols and starter pistols
• Bows, cross bows and arrows
• Slingshots and catapults
• Parts of firearms (excluding telescopic sights)
• Firearms noise suppression devices

Explosives. Explosive or incendiary substances or devices that could be used to cause serious injury or threaten safety in the Courts, including:

• Explosive material – including dynamite, plastic explosive (C4, Semtex, Deta sheet), nitroglycerine, acetone peroxide, TNT and ammonium permanganate
• Propellant powder, gunpowder
• Blasting caps
• Detonators & fuses
• Replica or imitation explosive devices
• Mines, grenades & other explosive military supplies
• Ammunition
• Flares or fireworks
• Canisters or cartridges that create smoke

Sharp-pointed or Edged Items. Objects with sharp points or sharp edges that could be used to cause serious injury, including:

• Knives or knife – like objects of any length
• Items designed for chopping – including axes, hatchets and cleavers
• Ice axes and ice picks
• Razor type blades – including box cutters, utility knives, and safety razor blades
• Scissors with blades longer than 6cm as measured from the fulcrum
• Swords or sabers (unless Kirpan)
• Hypodermic needles, syringes or auto-injectors unless it is for personal medical use, and the needle guard is in place. The person must possess medication that is to be administered by means of the syringe, needle or auto-injector
• Bali Song or centrifugal knives such as flick knives or butterfly knives
• Gravity knives
• Constant companion (belt-buckle knife)
• Martial arts equipment with sharp points or sharp edges (e.g.: shuriken throwing stars)

Devices Designed to Stun or Immobilize. Including:

• Devices for shocking – including stun guns, tasers and stun batons
• Animal stunners

• Often people don’t know how to get their belongings back from jail if they are released after their bail hearing. 
• Ask if there is a support service to connect to onsite for support with bus tickets, change of clothes, food, getting medication or ID from jail or the holding center.   If you need assistance with this call 211 or visit the Ontario 211 website to find programs and services in your community.