If you’ve ever wondered what the bailiff says in court, the short answer is that the bailiff speaks at predictable moments: opening the session with “All rise,” identifying the judge, reminding people about phones and conduct, calling cases, directing witnesses and jurors, and closing with “Court is in recess” or “Court is adjourned.” The exact wording shifts from courthouse to courthouse, but the sequence has stayed remarkably consistent.
Opening the Session
The most recognizable line is “All rise,” spoken the moment the judge enters. Everyone stands until the judge is seated, a tradition rooted in respect for the court’s authority, and it shows up in nearly every bailiff script used in American courts, from small municipal courtrooms to military tribunals.1Marine Corps Installations East. The Bailiff’s Handbook
After calling the room to its feet, the bailiff identifies the court and the judge. A typical version sounds like: “The [Court Name] is now in session, the Honorable Judge [Name] presiding.” Some courts still use a formal opening that begins with “Oyez, oyez, oyez,” an Old French term meaning “hear ye” that dates back to medieval English courts. The U.S. Supreme Court’s crier still opens every session that way. Most trial courts have dropped it in favor of plainer announcements, but you may hear it in some jurisdictions.
Once the judge is settled and ready, the bailiff says “You may be seated,” and the session begins.
Housekeeping Announcements
Before any cases are called, bailiffs in many courtrooms make a short set of practical announcements. The most common one involves electronics: a reminder to silence or turn off cell phones, and a warning that recording, photographing, or broadcasting inside the courtroom is prohibited without the judge’s express permission. Violating those rules can lead to confiscation of the device, contempt of court charges, or both.
Bailiffs also enforce dress and conduct standards. You may hear reminders to remove hats, to refrain from chewing gum, and to avoid side conversations while court is in session. Small as these sound, bailiffs take them seriously, because minor disruptions can draw a judge’s irritation toward the gallery rather than the case being heard.
Calling Cases and Witnesses
In courts that handle a docket of multiple cases in one session, the bailiff calls each case so the parties know when to approach. You’ll hear something like “[Case name or number], please come forward” or “Calling docket number [number].” It keeps a busy courtroom moving.
When a witness is up, the attorney calls the witness, not the bailiff. But the bailiff often directs the person to the stand with a simple “Please come forward” or “Step up to the witness stand.”
Who Actually Administers the Oath
One of the most familiar courtroom moments is the swearing-in: “Please raise your right hand,” followed by some version of “Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” Federal rules require every witness to give an oath or affirmation before testifying, in whatever form will impress the duty of truthfulness on the witness’s conscience.
Here’s where practice and popular perception diverge. Movies and television almost always show the bailiff administering this oath, but in many real courtrooms the court clerk handles it. Federal law authorizes judges and clerks to administer oaths, and in plenty of state courts the clerk is the one who swears in witnesses as a matter of routine. In smaller courts where staff wear multiple hats, the bailiff may do it. If you’re attending court for the first time, don’t be surprised if the clerk rather than the bailiff is the person asking you to raise your right hand.
Managing the Jury
Bailiffs play a hands-on role with jurors that goes well beyond “Jurors, please take your seats.” During jury selection, the bailiff checks that the full panel has arrived and instructs prospective jurors on how to enter the jury box. Once trial is underway, the bailiff tells jurors when to enter and leave the courtroom at breaks and adjournments, and gives practical instructions about notebooks, personal items, and courthouse logistics.
The role becomes especially important during deliberations. After the judge finishes giving legal instructions, the bailiff is formally sworn by the court clerk to take charge of the jury. From that point on, the bailiff escorts jurors to and from the deliberation room, explains how to signal the court when they have a question or a verdict, and stays available throughout. If jurors need to review physical evidence, the bailiff must be present and must instruct them not to discuss the case in the bailiff’s hearing. Congress defined this jury-supervision function as one of the bailiff’s core responsibilities in federal courts.2Federal Judicial Center. Court Officers and Staff: Bailiffs
Keeping Order
When a phone rings, someone in the gallery starts talking, or an argument gets heated at counsel’s table, the bailiff steps in. The intervention might be a look and a gesture for silence, a firm verbal instruction, or, in serious situations, physically removing someone from the courtroom.
The phrase “Order in the court” has become synonymous with courtroom authority, but in practice it’s usually the judge who says it. The bailiff enforces whatever the judge orders. Military court handbooks put it plainly: the bailiff must be alert and prepared to take immediate steps to suppress unruly behavior.1Marine Corps Installations East. The Bailiff’s Handbook That can mean a quiet warning or an escort out of the building, and the bailiff generally has wide discretion about how to handle it as long as the judge’s instructions are followed.
Recesses and Adjournment
When the judge calls a break, the bailiff announces “All rise” again as the judge leaves the bench. After the judge exits, the bailiff says “Court is in recess,” letting everyone know the pause is temporary. The bailiff may add a time: “Court will reconvene at 1:30.”
At the end of the day, or when all business is finished, the sequence repeats one last time. The bailiff calls “All rise,” the judge departs, and the bailiff announces “Court is adjourned.” That phrase signals the session is officially over.
A Note on the Title
Not every courthouse calls this person a bailiff. In federal district courts the role has historically been filled by a court crier, and the federal statute authorizing the position allows a single person to serve as crier, bailiff, and messenger all at once.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. US Code Title 28 Judiciary and Judicial Procedure 755 In many state courts, the bailiff is a deputy sheriff assigned to courthouse duty. Some jurisdictions use “court officer” or “marshal” instead. Whatever the title, the spoken duties are the same: open court, keep order, manage the jury, and close the session.