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Meriden JD
Civil Standing Orders
Presiding Judge, Civil - Hon. Brian T. Fischer
 

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Standing Orders
Superior Court
Superior Court Judges
Court Trial Standing Order
(ORDERS THAT APPLY TO ALL CIVIL TRIALS THAT DO NOT HAVE A JURY)

1.   GENERAL PROCESS 

      This case has been assigned for trial before the judge who has signed these orders. In order to move the case along as quickly as possible, the following orders are made in this case in addition to the orders about trial management. See Practice Book Section 14-14. If you do not follow these orders on time, any request or motion that you make may be denied unless otherwise required by law. 

2.    MOTIONS FILED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CASE OR AT THE BEGINNING OF A PART OF THE CASE (MOTIONS IN LIMINE) 

      All motions in limine must be filed at least one week prior to the start of the trial. Where it is possible and appropriate, a hearing on all motions that have not been decided will be scheduled and decided before proof (evidence) is first shown to the court, unless the court thinks it is appropriate to wait to hear and decide the motion. Written objections to these motions, if any, must be filed for each motion that another party does not agree with.  

3.   SUMMARY OF ITEMS NECESSARY FOR THE TRIAL TO GO FORWARD (TRIAL MEMORANDUM) 

      One week before the trial starts, each party must file with the court and must give to all other parties a summary of the items listed below which must include the following items:  

A.         A list of the names of the witnesses that will be requested by that party to testify at trial with a short summary of what the witness will testify about;

            B.         A list of the items that will be given to the court as proof (evidence);

C.         Agreements (stipulations) of the facts. The court requires counsel to communicate and make honest efforts to agree in writing to as many facts as possible for issues that the parties agree on;

D.         Suggested decisions on the facts for the issues that the parties do not agree on;

E.         A legal memorandum of law which tells the court of the legal issues that the parties do not agree on.  

4.   EXHIBITS (ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE GIVEN TO THE COURT AS PROOF OR FOR EXAMPLE)

      So that the trial will not be slowed down, the parties must meet with the clerk and label (pre-mark) all items (exhibits) they may give to the court as proof (evidence). The parties must appear at 9:00 a.m. on the first day that proof will be considered to label their exhibits. Before the first time that proof will be shown to the court, counsel for both parties must tell the court of any objections the parties have to the exhibits to be given to the court by the other party so that the court, may, if possible, make a decision on those objections before the trial starts. Exhibits which are not objected to by the other party must be given to the court as the trial moves ahead so that those exhibits will be properly recorded and will become a part of the case. 

5.   TESTIMONY OF A WITNESS THAT IS TAKEN OUTSIDE OF COURT (DEPOSITIONS)  

      For any testimony that is received by taking a deposition that may be used or filed as evidence during the trial:

A.         Counsel must bring the original sealed copy of the transcript (written record) of the deposition into court for the court to open and examine, if necessary, when the witness testifies;

B.         Counsel should give the court copies of any transcript of depositions to be given to the court as evidence at trial;

C.         All references to the testimony found in the transcript of depositions must refer to the page and line numbers where the testimony can be found.  

6.   ISSUES THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED THAT WILL HELP MOVE THE TRIAL ALONG (IDENTIFIABLE TRIAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES) 

A.         For each day the trial is held, the parties must, no later than the break taken by the court after the lunch break, give the court advance notice of all problems that concern evidence, scheduling or other matters and issues the parties expect to happen the next day. The parties must give the court a legal memorandum or tell the court of all other authority that counsel may give the court to help the court in resolving the problems that the court was notified of.

            B.        If a new witness or a proposed exhibit comes to counsel’s attention after the time for disclosure set out in paragraph 3 above, counsel must notify the court and all other parties of the name of the witness and the exhibit as soon after the witness or exhibit comes to the attention of counsel and before the witness will be allowed to testify or the exhibit will be allowed to be used at trial. The only reasons allowed for not disclosing a new witness or a proposed exhibit are witnesses and exhibits that are used to challenge the other party’s proof.  

7.   PROVIDING THE COURT WITH COPIES 

Parties must give the court an extra copy of each pleading, document, or exhibit that is filed with the court or shown to the court as proof (evidence).  

8.   REASONS WHY A PARTY DOES NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THESE ORDERS 

The court, on case-by-case basis, must approve all reasons why a party does not have to follow these orders.
  

So ordered.
The Judges of the Meriden Superior Court  

THIS ORDER WAS GIVEN TO THE PARTIES AT THE TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE ON  _________________________.

 

________________________________
Judge/Caseflow Coordinator


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