1. Be on time! Court starts promptly at 9:00 A.M.. Make sure you are in the right courtroom before 9:00A.M. If you are not in the courtroom when your case is called, the judge is allowed to “pass” your case. This means that your case could be dismissed and you will have to start all over again! If you are the defendant, this could mean that the plaintiff can go in front of the judge and get the orders that he/she is seeking without you getting to say anything. This means you were defaulted (the orders are granted because you didn’t show up!).