Del Norte County trial binder and trial document requirements

(D) Setting the case for trial and mandatory settlement conference.

Verified in the rule body at Chapter 3, Rule 3.4(d)(4), the list of orders the court may make at the CMC. Chapter 3 is the Expedited Civil Track and applies to general civil cases, which Rule 3.2 defines as all civil cases except probate, guardianship, conservatorship, juvenile, family, small claims, unlawful detainer, harassment and elder abuse and workplace violence petitions, name change, election contests and late claim petitions. Rule 3.3 sets the CMC at approximately 180 calendar days after the initial pleading is filed.

The local rules set forth in this chapter are adopted to implement rule 3.1380 of the CRC and will apply to all settlement conferences whether mandatory or voluntary.

Rule 5.1(a)(5) allows a further settlement conference before the trial date at a party's request or by the court at the initial conference. On the 2026 department schedule, civil settlement conferences are calendared Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in Department 2 and Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Department 1. Those are the calendar slots, not a deadline.

Each party must prepare, file, and serve on all other parties a settlement conference statement, in pleading form, at least five (5) court days prior to the settlement conference.

The ten added items are (a) a caption with the settlement conference date and time and the trial date if set, (b) the parties and the dates, times and locations giving rise to the controversy, (c) a summary of the important facts indicating the parties' theories of liability, (d) the legal issues to be resolved, (e) copies of key documents, (f) a list of motions in limine, (g) a list of damages current and future with legal and factual support, (h) a summary of previous settlement negotiations, (i) reservations of rights or policy defenses where a carrier is involved, and (j) anything else the court directs. Court days are stated expressly, and Rule 2.9 in any event makes "day" mean court day unless otherwise specified.

All parties, the attorneys who will try the case, and a representative with actual authority to settle on behalf of each insurance company involved in the case are required to be personally present at the settlement conference unless excused by order of the judge conducting the settlement conference.

Rule 8.2(c) adds that telephonic appearances "will not generally be allowed for contested summary judgment motions or for settlement conferences unless approved in advance by the Court." Rule 8.2(b) designates CourtCall and requires arrangements not less than 3 court days before the hearing date.

(e) Copies of all relevant portions of key documents upon which the litigation is based and upon which any party intends to rely;

It is a settlement conference attachment, not a trial binder. The rule says nothing about tabs, an index, copy count, or paper versus electronic delivery.

Requested jury instructions shall be delivered to the trial judge at the times provided herein, or at such other times as may be ordered by the court and in no event later than the first morning of trial.

This is an outer limit, not a scheduled deadline. The rule's "at the times provided herein" points to nothing else in Chapter 7, so the real date is whatever the court orders. The rule adds: "Additional supplementary instructions may be received by the trial judge at such times and on such conditions as may be just. Such instructions must comply with rule 2.1055 of the CRC." Contrast criminal Rule 9.9(b) and (c), which do fix real dates by reference to the pretrial conferences.

Jury instruction forms contained in the latest editions of CACI for civil cases shall be used when applicable. Counsel shall fill in all blanks and make any necessary changes on such forms to conform with fact related to the particular trial, such as the appropriate gender and number.

A form requirement rather than a deadline; it attaches whenever the instructions are delivered under 7.1(d)(1). Rule 1.5 defines CACI as the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions.

Proposed pattern jury instructions that have been modified by a party shall specify in parenthesis or other appropriate manner the respect in which the instructions have been modified.

Civil. Rule 7.1(d) is headed "Request for Jury Instructions in Civil Cases." The parallel criminal rule is 9.9, which uses CALCRIM.

Jury instructions to be presented to a jury shall be in a form that may be appropriately delivered to the jury for their use and reference in the jury room. Jury instructions prepared for a jury shall not be denominated or marked in any way that would identify the party that prepared them.

Subdivision (e) is headed "Presentation of Jury Instructions to Jury in Civil Cases." Practical effect: prepare a clean set with no caption block, footer or party attribution alongside the requested set.

(f) A list of all motions in-limine to be made prior to the readiness conference;

The rule presumes a readiness conference that no civil rule in this set creates. See the Rule 7.1(f) row and the unknowns. The list itself is still due with the statement, 5 court days before the settlement conference, regardless of when the readiness conference lands.

All motions in-limine must be in writing. Each motion and response must be filed no later than the readiness conference.

Read this one carefully. The civil rules anchor the in limine deadline to a "readiness conference" that no civil rule sets or defines. I searched the full 66 page rule set: the phrase appears only here, in Rule 5.2(f), and in criminal Rule 9.5. Rule 9.5 is a felony conference usually held one day before the preliminary hearing, and Rule 9.1 limits Chapter 9 to criminal proceedings. So the operative civil date has to come from the trial setting order or a minute order in the case. Confirm it with Department 1 (unlimited civil) or Department 2 (limited civil) rather than assuming.

Parties must, during the week preceding the date fixed for the trial, keep the Court advised as to the likelihood of settlement and any other factors that affect the readiness of the case.

The offset token week_before_trial is ours. The rule fixes no single deadline date; it imposes a continuing duty through that week. Rule 5.4(b) attaches the consequence: "Jury fees will be forfeited if the Court deems it was not timely notified."

For all civil matters scheduled for a jury trial, other than unlawful detainer actions, jury fees for the first day of trial are due and payable no later than twenty-five (25) calendar days prior to trial.

Calendar days, stated expressly, so Rule 2.9's court day default does not apply. The rule adds: "Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, a jury may not be drawn if the Clerk's Office does not timely receive jury fees." In unlawful detainers the same rule drops the escape clause and reads "A jury will not be drawn if the Clerk's Office does not timely receive jury fees." The fee schedule is the court approved list of local charges and fees posted on the court website.

A plaintiff must affirmatively request and show an entitlement to a jury trial before the Court will order a jury trial in any civil case.

No local deadline is stated for the request, so CCP 631 controls. The rule continues: "A plaintiff may waive his or her right to a jury trial in writing, or in open court, or by failure to make a timely request. If the plaintiff waives a jury, any other party may demand a jury and be responsible for the jury deposit consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 631." Rule 7.1(b) requires the opposing demand to be accompanied by the deposit.

Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, each party in a civil proceeding must inform the Court whether the party requests the presence of an official court reporter.

The rule sets no deadline for giving the notice. Rule 13.1(f) on its face requires a reporter for "All jury trials," but the court has since made contrary findings on the record. Standing Order 25-002 states that "the Court has only provided reporters in statutorily mandated cases: death penalty proceedings, juvenile proceedings, felonies, and proceedings regarding withdrawal of consent to adopt," that reporters "are no longer provided in limited civil and family matters," and that "The only currently CSR employed by the Court is set to retire in December of 2025." Standing Order 26-003 renews the same findings. Arrange a privately retained certified reporter early and do not rely on Rule 13.1(f).

Proposed exhibits that are inherently dangerous must be examined, secured and approved by the Court bailiff prior to being brought into the courtroom.

Cite the body numbering, not the table of contents. The published PDF's table of contents omits body Rule 17.1 (Meet and Confer Requirement), so from 17.2 forward the contents run one number low and list this rule as 17.2. The rule lists eleven categories including firearms, explosive powder and devices, flammable liquids, tear gas, bodily fluid samples, controlled or toxic substances and corrosive or radioactive substances. Rule 17.3(b) requires firearms to be secured with a nylon tie or trigger guard and re-examined every time they come back into the courtroom.

Permission from the Judge assigned to the hearing or trial must be obtained before a party may bring hazardous, heavy or bulky exhibits into the courthouse.

The order sets concrete thresholds: "Heavy objects are those exceeding three (3) pounds by weight. Bulky objects are those exceeding one (1) cubic foot in volume." In a construction defect case most physical specimens clear those thresholds, so the permission application is the step to budget for. The seven item statement is triggered by different language: "Prior to bringing any toxic, hazardous or potentially hazardous materials into the courtroom, counsel shall provide to the Court a written statement." An inert specimen does not trigger it. No deadline is stated anywhere in the order, which is why the offset is varies. The order also requires a photographic record at submission and governs return of civil exhibits by stipulation under CCP 1952(a) and 1952.2. This PDF is an image only scan with no text layer; it was read by rendering the pages.

Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, a party offering into evidence an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must tender to the Court and to any opposing party a typewritten transcript of the electronic recording.

Body numbering; the table of contents lists this as 17.3. The rule points to CRC 2.1040 and says it covers cell phone recordings, answering machine recordings and any other audio recording offered in evidence. Where a transcript is submitted the reporter need not take the recording down.

The Court generally does not read text messages or electronic mail transmissions in open court and instead requires parties to print out such communications and offer them as written evidence.

Numbered 17.5 in the body of the rules. The table of contents and the subject index list it as 17.4 because the contents omit body Rule 17.1. Cite the body.

For documents relating to cases with a calendar date, the filing deadline is 10:30a.m. the court day before. Documents after 10:30am will need to be filed in open court.

The Local Rules page flags this order: "Please take special notice of Standing Order 21-003 regarding filing deadlines." The anchor is whatever hearing is on calendar, including a settlement conference, so it operates as a cutoff on top of any statutory deadline. Counter hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; courthouse Mailbox #31 in the main lobby takes filings from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. with same day filing credit; the exterior H Street mailbox is available 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. "Exceptions may be made upon contacting the court with a proper and valid reason of why a deadline may not be met." This PDF is an image only scan; it was read by rendering the page. Note the Civil Division page separately gives clerk's office hours as 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., which does not match the counter hours in this order.

Each party must file and serve a case management statement on the other parties no later than fifteen (15) calendar days before the CMC.

Calendar days, stated expressly. Rule 3.4(b) lists eleven required contents whether or not the Judicial Council form is used, including separate time estimates for motions and trial, the estimated ready for trial date, whether a jury is demanded, and the date, time spent and results of the Rule 3.4(c) meet and confer. Rule 3.4(b)(9) reads in full: "The trial attorney's availability calendar for the fourth, fifth and sixth months following the month in which the CMC is heard;" For the older non-ECT track, Rule 4.2(b) instead has the submitting party designate available trial dates 60 to 120 days out for a trial of one day or less, or 90 to 210 days out for a longer one, using the local At Issue Memorandum, Form 40, which the court still posts.