How to Address a Letter to a Judge
Write the date and the judge's address in the top left., Write your own address beneath this., Write "Dear Judge (surname)," to begin the letter., Use the language in which you write best., Refer to the name of the case (if relevant)., Make the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write the date and the judge's address in the top left.
Use left aligned text to write today's date, followed by the judge's full address.
If you are not sure how to format this, see the section on addressing the judge on the envelope. -
Step 2: Write your own address beneath this.
Add your own, full address, beginning two lines beneath the judge's.
Include your name, street address, city, and zip code. , For almost all judges, write "Dear Judge" followed by the judge's last name to begin the letter.
Write this on its own line, followed by a comma.
Address justices of the UK Supreme Court as "Dear (Lord/Lady) (surname)" instead.If writing to a U.S. state or federal Supreme Court, use “Dear Justice” instead.If a judge's title is "Chief Judge" or "Chief Justice," you may use that title instead. "Judge" or "Justice" is also acceptable. , Many judges have access to professional interpreters, so do not feel you have to write the letter in English.If the language you prefer is rare in your area, however, you may wish to find a native English speaker to help you write a letter.
For example, if you are a Spanish speaker living in the United States, it is likely that a judge can find someone to translate your letter.
On the other hand, if you speak Romanian in the United States, the judge would probably have a harder time finding an interpreter. , Each criminal case has a specific name and number.
If you are writing to a judge about a specific case, refer to it by this name and number in the first sentence of your letter.If you do not know the name of the case, write "I am writing to you concerning the case with defendant (name of defendant)."
Start out the letter by describing your purpose for writing.
This should be in the first paragraph, and preferably in the first sentence.For example, begin the letter "I am writing to you about the defendant Josiah Smith, my brother.
I am asking you to lower his bail, so he can afford to hire an attorney."
Ideally, the letter should be no longer than one page.
Write in your own words, except when writing a formal letter on behalf of an organization.
Take the time to check spelling and grammar mistakes, or ask someone to help you with this.
The judge will take your letter more seriously.You do not need to try to sound like a lawyer or businessman if it makes you uncomfortable.
Judges are used to accepting correspondence from all types of people., If you believe that you have new evidence for a civil or criminal case, you should hand it over to the parties or attorneys in the case, not to the judge.Due to ethical guidelines, the judge will have to share the evidence with all parties in the case regardless.If someone other than a party or attorney in the case brings evidence before the judge, the judge will most likely turn that evidence over to the police or another agency to decide what to do with it. , The proper way to close a letter to a judge is "Respectfully," followed by your full name on the line beneath.You may write "Respectfully yours," or "Respectfully submitted," if you prefer. -
Step 3: Write "Dear Judge (surname)
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Step 4: " to begin the letter.
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Step 5: Use the language in which you write best.
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Step 6: Refer to the name of the case (if relevant).
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Step 7: Make the purpose of your letter clear.
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Step 8: Keep the letter short and simple.
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Step 9: Don't include new evidence for a case.
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Step 10: Close the letter with “Respectfully."
Detailed Guide
Use left aligned text to write today's date, followed by the judge's full address.
If you are not sure how to format this, see the section on addressing the judge on the envelope.
Add your own, full address, beginning two lines beneath the judge's.
Include your name, street address, city, and zip code. , For almost all judges, write "Dear Judge" followed by the judge's last name to begin the letter.
Write this on its own line, followed by a comma.
Address justices of the UK Supreme Court as "Dear (Lord/Lady) (surname)" instead.If writing to a U.S. state or federal Supreme Court, use “Dear Justice” instead.If a judge's title is "Chief Judge" or "Chief Justice," you may use that title instead. "Judge" or "Justice" is also acceptable. , Many judges have access to professional interpreters, so do not feel you have to write the letter in English.If the language you prefer is rare in your area, however, you may wish to find a native English speaker to help you write a letter.
For example, if you are a Spanish speaker living in the United States, it is likely that a judge can find someone to translate your letter.
On the other hand, if you speak Romanian in the United States, the judge would probably have a harder time finding an interpreter. , Each criminal case has a specific name and number.
If you are writing to a judge about a specific case, refer to it by this name and number in the first sentence of your letter.If you do not know the name of the case, write "I am writing to you concerning the case with defendant (name of defendant)."
Start out the letter by describing your purpose for writing.
This should be in the first paragraph, and preferably in the first sentence.For example, begin the letter "I am writing to you about the defendant Josiah Smith, my brother.
I am asking you to lower his bail, so he can afford to hire an attorney."
Ideally, the letter should be no longer than one page.
Write in your own words, except when writing a formal letter on behalf of an organization.
Take the time to check spelling and grammar mistakes, or ask someone to help you with this.
The judge will take your letter more seriously.You do not need to try to sound like a lawyer or businessman if it makes you uncomfortable.
Judges are used to accepting correspondence from all types of people., If you believe that you have new evidence for a civil or criminal case, you should hand it over to the parties or attorneys in the case, not to the judge.Due to ethical guidelines, the judge will have to share the evidence with all parties in the case regardless.If someone other than a party or attorney in the case brings evidence before the judge, the judge will most likely turn that evidence over to the police or another agency to decide what to do with it. , The proper way to close a letter to a judge is "Respectfully," followed by your full name on the line beneath.You may write "Respectfully yours," or "Respectfully submitted," if you prefer.
About the Author
Samuel Bailey
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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