Judge Brad Astrowsky
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
Adjournments
- Continuance/vacate requests require a written motion or stipulation stating the opposing party's position, which the Court must know before granting.
Request must include
Communication
Chambers
Phone
Chambers
Letter via ECF
Chambers
Document Format Requirements1 rule
Proposed jury instructions and verdict forms should be in Word format and may be emailed directly to the Court.
The Court prefers to receive proposed jury instructions and verdict forms in Word format. These may be directly e-mailed to the Court.
DOCX
Document Filing Requirements5 rules
All motions and stipulations must be filed with proposed orders or risk rejection.
ALL motions or stipulations shall be filed with proposed orders. If a proposed order is applicable to the motion, and it is not submitted with the motion, the Court reserves the right to reject your motion until it is accompanied by a proposed form of order.
Document Type
Motion
Parties must email a settlement conference memorandum or other materials for review prior to the settlement conference.
Please e-mail a settlement conference memorandum or anything else you want me to review prior to the settlement conference.
Document Type
Settlement Conference Memorandum
Parties must submit proposed jury questionnaires once trial is assigned, as the Court uses an electronic jury questionnaire.
I will use an electronic jury questionnaire. Once your trial is assigned to me, please provide me with your proposed jury questionnaire.
Document Type
Jury Questionnaire
Discovery disputes may be expedited via a Joint Statement of Discovery Dispute (encouraged), otherwise must commence with a Motion to Compel; hearings will not be set by phone or email request.
Dispute Resolution: If the parties want to expedite the discovery dispute, they may file a Joint Statement of Discovery Dispute similar to what is required by Rule 26(d) of the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure. The Court strongly encourages the parties to follow this procedure, even in criminal matters. Otherwise, the dispute must commence with a Motion to Compel, or other appropriate discovery or disclosure motion. The Court will not set a discovery dispute hearing based on a telephonic or email request.
Document Type
Discovery Motion
Motions must begin and end by stating exactly what relief is requested.
Please begin and end your motion by telling me exactly what you are requesting.
Document Type
Motion
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Attorneys must use Case Center to manage trial exhibits.
I expect attorneys to use Case Center to manage trial exhibits. To register for an account, please visit: https://digitalevidence.azcourts.gov/Account/Register
Page 1 | Trial Schedule
Filing Bundling Requirements
All motions, responses, replies, and other filings must be submitted individually; bundling motions with responses is prohibited.
I prefer that all motions, responses, replies, and other filings in this be submitted individually. Do not combine any motion with your response to the other part's motion. All motions are to be filed separately.
Page 1 | Motion Practice
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Counsel must meet and confer in good faith to resolve discovery disputes before bringing them to the Court and must demonstrate their efforts.
Meet and Confer: Counsel must try in good faith to resolve discovery disputes before bringing it to the Court. It is not enough to say you tried; the Court takes very seriously your duty to meet and confer and will expect you to demonstrate that you have done so.
Page 1 | Discovery or Disclosure Disputes and/or Sanctions
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Continuance/vacate requests require a written motion or stipulation stating the opposing party's position, which the Court must know before granting.
Motions to Continue/Vacate: The Court requires a written motion or stipulation to schedule, reschedule, continue, or vacate hearings. If you want a Motion to Continue to be addressed expeditiously, please reach out to the opposing party before filing the motion, and state the opposing party's position to your motion in the body of your motion. I cannot grant a Motion to Continue before knowing the other party's position.
Page 1 | Motion Practice
Chambers Communication Rules
Filings made within a week of a hearing must be emailed to the judicial assistant in advance of the hearing.
If you file something within a week of a hearing, please e-mail a copy of your filing to my judicial assistant, Stephanie Pham (stephanie.pham@jbazmc.maricopa.gov) in advance of the hearing so that I may read it.
Page 1 | General Rules of Practice in this Division
Accommodation requests (e.g., interpreters) must be made to the Court with as much advance notice as possible before trial or evidentiary hearings.
If an attorney, party, or witness require any accommodations (e.g., an interpreter), please advise the Court with as much advanced notice as possible prior to the scheduled trial or evidentiary hearing.
Page 1 | Trial Schedule
After trial assignment, attorneys may directly email the Court trial-related materials, provided all such emails are simultaneously sent to opposing counsel.
Once a trial is assigned to this Division, the attorneys are free to directly e-mail the Court with issues, jury instructions, verdict forms, trial memos, caselaw, etc. Any such e-mail shall also be simultaneously sent to all opposing counsel.
Page 1 | Other Courtroom Policies and Recommendations
Settlement conferences are scheduled by contacting the judicial assistant by email or phone.
To schedule these, please contact my judicial assistant, Stephanie Pham: stephanie.pham@jbazmc.maricopa.gov; 602-372-2048.
Page 1 | Other Pre-trial Practice Guidelines or Comments
If filings have not reached the Court after a reasonable wait, parties may contact staff because the e-file system sometimes fails to forward filings.
If something has been pending and you have waited for a reasonable amount of time but have not heard from us, please reach out to my staff. On occasion, the e-file system does not forward your filings to the Court.
Page 1 | Other Courtroom Policies and Recommendations