The high-profile case team

Judge and attorneys discussion at bench in the courtroom

Convening your team

The trial judge should exercise overall control of the activities of the high-profile case team and be actively involved in planning. With many considerations and factors to consider, actual implementation should be delegated to the HPC team. Team members should have general authority to manage their respective duties to avoid unnecessary "appeals" to the trial judge. It's critical for the HPC team to maintain a working dialogue with the trial judge throughout the trial.

General tools & resources

Constitutional case law for high-profile cases

Judicial leadership

A trial judge cannot manage all the administrative requirements of a high-profile case and still have the time and focus to carry out adjudicative functions. A HPC team should be convened with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

Depending on the state or court, the title for this role could be chief judge, president judge, administrative judge, or presiding judge. The chief judge is responsible for assessing the court's capabilities and weaknesses for managing a high-profile case, identifying individuals with expertise to fulfill HPC team roles, and ensuring trial court judges and court staff have the necessary training and resources to undertake their appointed tasks.

In coordination with court administration, the chief judge is also responsible for ensuring the high-profile case does not disrupt the operation of court functions in other courtrooms. Generally, the chief judge will not be actively involved in the HPC team meetings.

Unless the court has a strict policy of random assignment of new cases, the chief judge should exercise discretion when appointing a trial judge to manage the high-profile case. The trial judge should demonstrate even judicial temperament; possess specialized knowledge in the case type; be widely regarded as impartial, fair, and professional; and be respected by both the bench and bar. In some states, the case may be assigned to a specific trial judge by the chief justice or the administrative head of the state court.
The trial judge is responsible for setting the terms of the case scheduling order, maintaining effective communication with the parties and trial attorneys, deciding pretrial motions and overseeing a trial, if necessary. The judge also provides oversight of the HPC team, including setting policies for non-litigation aspects of the case such as decorum orders for media coverage and public access. The trial judge should appoint high-profile team members with expertise in court management, media relations/communications, court security, jury operations, and information technology (IT).

Depending on the case and jurisdiction size, a court may elect to have a judge team. In this model, one judge serves as the trial judge who oversees all aspects of the trial while another judge serves as a media judge who only handles media- related issues.

Team member roles

Titles of each position may vary, but the roles will be similar across different jurisdictions. In addition to the responsibilities outlined, it is important for team members to take responsibility for ensuring their staff are properly trained in high-profile case court protocols. High-profile cases may require support from other employees, including court reporters and court interpreters, to be determined by the trial judge.