§ Rule 99. Telephonic Participation in Civil Cases

Rule 99. Telephonic Participation in Civil Cases

(a) Authorization for Telephonic, Video, or Internet Participation. The court may allow one or more parties, counsel, witnesses or the judge to participate telephonically in any hearing or deposition for good cause and in the absence of substantial prejudice to opposing parties. The court shall allow video or Internet testimony if the hearing or deposition involves the custody or visitation of a child of a parent who is deployed, as that term is defined in AS 25.20.095, at the request of the deployed parent. Authorization for a witness to telephonically participate in a deposition does not bar the witnesses' testimony from being videotaped under Civil Rule 30.1; nor does it bar a party or attorney from being present at the site at which the witness is physically present.

(b) Procedure. The following procedure must be observed concerning telephonic participation in court hearings:

(1) Hearings involving telephonic participation must be scheduled in the same manner as other hearings.

(2) When telephonic participation is requested, the court, before the hearing, shall designate the party responsible for arranging the call and the party or parties responsible for payment of the call pursuant to Administrative Rule 48.

(3) Upon convening a telephonic proceeding, the judge shall:

(i) Recite the date, time, case name, case number, names and locations of parties and counsel, and the type of hearing;

(ii) Ascertain that all statements of all parties are audible to all participants;

(iii) Give instructions on how the hearing is to be conducted, including notice that in order to preserve the record speakers must identify themselves each time they speak.

(4) A verbatim record must be made in accord with Administrative Rule 35.