Before we start this morning, I want to explain to you a couple of procedures (Narrator: The judge begins by explaining procedures), that in order for your trial to be heard, I must know that you have exchanged exhibits with each other. So if you have any documents, letters, photographs, anything that you’re going to want me to see in order to decide your case, you have to show it to the other side before the trial starts. So if you haven’t done that already, I’m going to take a brief recess when I finish talking and I’ll ask you to go out in the hall and exchange your exhibits at that time, and then come back for the trial.

I would urge you, while you’re out in the hall, to talk to one another and see if you can resolve your differences. We settle many cases out in the hall. Sometimes it’s the first opportunity people have had to actually talk about the case with each other; you may find that you can settle it informally. If you do that, when you come back tell the clerk that you have settled the case, and I will call your case first so that you can get out of here quickly.

Another thing that you should know about is that we do have a mediation service available through the court. You can sit down, all of you with a professional mediator, someone who can help you work out a solution to the differences that you have, and settle or resolve this case for you in a way that is satisfactory to everyone. So you might want to talk about mediation as well and see if that’s something you’re interested in. If you do want mediation, let the clerk know when you come back in, and she’ll schedule that for you.

If none of that works, why then we’ll go ahead and start the trial. So we’ll begin within the next five minutes. Please return to this courtroom at that time. You’re now excused and free to go. Thank you.