Court Rules

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 58 rules apply across Riverside Superior Court. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Filing Requirements

All 42
  • Applies to
    Witness list

    The exchanged witness list must give each witness's name and a single-sentence description of anticipated testimony, and in jury trials must also identify each non-expert witness's community and each expert witness's occupation and principal office area.

  • Applies to
    Verdict form

    In jury trials, counsel must submit an agreed verdict form or, failing agreement, a partial joint form with separate proposals on the contested aspects.

  • Applies to
    Exhibit list

    The exhibit list must include exhibit number, a title or brief description, and page count, and copies of exhibits not previously uttered in discovery must be supplied for all but impeachment-only exhibits.

Service

All 5
  • Deadline
    14 calendar days
    Applies to
    Pre trial documents

    Counsel for all parties must exchange the listed pre-trial documents no later than 14 days before trial, or by another time the parties agree upon.

  • Service
    Electronic service

    Counsel are encouraged to exchange exhibits electronically in a standardized format.

  • Deadline
    60 calendar days
    Required
    Always
    Applies to
    Complaint
    Service
    Other to all parties

    Plaintiff's counsel must serve all defendants and file proofs of service within 60 days of filing the complaint.

Formatting

All 2

  • Exhibits must be numbered in advance, with each exhibit bearing a separate exhibit number.

  • Each page of each exhibit must bear a unique and consecutive page number.

Courtesy Copies

All 2

  • A party intending to read from a deposition transcript must lodge the original transcript with the court on the first day of trial.

  • Counsel must provide the original and one copy of each listed trial document to the Court on the first day of trial.

More categories

View all Riverside Superior Court rules
About Judge John Vineyard

John Vineyard is a judge on the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, the state trial court serving Riverside County. The court handles a wide range of civil, criminal, and family law matters.

The published procedures consist of standing orders, revised February 5, 2024, which outline the judge's expectations for practice in their courtroom.

Common questions about Judge John Vineyard's rules

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge John Vineyard?

Judge John Vineyard's formatting rule includes binding tabbed 3-ring, no fewer than three (3) viewable sets for trial (one each for the court, courtroom assistant, and witnesses), each exhibit must be pre-marked and pre-labeled; labels available at counsel table on the hearing date, exhibits must be in binders with tabs identifying each exhibit, petitioner exhibits are marked with numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.), respondent exhibits with letters (a, b, c, etc.

View ruleSource: page 4, section STANDING ORDER

What must be included with trial readiness stipulation filings before Judge John Vineyard?

The rule requires statement of facts. Attorneys and self-represented parties must prepare and file a written stipulation covering undisputed facts, disputed facts with each party's proposed findings, and undisputed issues.

View ruleSource: page 2, section Orders Related to Trial

What must be included with trial financial disclosures filings before Judge John Vineyard?

The rule requires proposed order. No later than 10 days before the relevant trial, each party must update and serve comprehensive financial disclosures on the other party, including income and expense declarations, tax returns, asset and debt statements, property valuation documents, income imputation materials, and a proposed judgment, and must supply them to the court upon request.

View ruleSource: page 3, section STANDING ORDERS

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge John Vineyard?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The request must include reason for request. Continuance requests must show good cause based on sufficient supporting facts; stipulation alone or a bare 'conflict' statement does not establish good cause.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Orders for All Proceedings

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge John Vineyard?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. The written stipulation must be filed no later than 10 days before the Trial Readiness Conference or Trial Setting Conference, or 10 days before trial if no such conference is scheduled.

View ruleSource: page 2, section Orders Related to Trial
Complete rules summary for Judge John Vineyard

Continuance requests must show good cause based on sufficient supporting facts; stipulation alone or a bare 'conflict' statement does not establish good cause.

A separate or unilateral joint statement will not be considered unless accompanied by a declaration showing reasonable, good-faith diligence in working with opposing counsel to prepare the required joint pleading.

Requests for a second call or later appearance require good cause and actual communication with opposing counsel (telephone conversation or email/text response), and must be requested at check-in by 9:00 a.m.; leaving a voicemail does not count.

Because court reporters are unavailable, all stipulations must be submitted to the court in writing.

Attorneys and self-represented parties must prepare and file a written stipulation covering undisputed facts, disputed facts with each party's proposed findings, and undisputed issues.

The written stipulation must be filed no later than 10 days before the Trial Readiness Conference or Trial Setting Conference, or 10 days before trial if no such conference is scheduled.

The trial document must include a list of exhibits that can be admitted without foundation, exhibits requiring further foundation (with description and proffering party), a trial time estimate, and a witness list with anticipated testimony and direct/cross-examination time estimates.

No later than 10 days before the relevant trial, each party must update and serve comprehensive financial disclosures on the other party, including income and expense declarations, tax returns, asset and debt statements, property valuation documents, income imputation materials, and a proposed judgment, and must supply them to the court upon request.

Trial continuance requests must be by regular noticed motion after showing good cause; ex parte applications by a party may be heard only for cases of emergency hearing, Monday-Friday 8:30 am, no requests will be considered on the day of trial; moving counsel must appear in person, and unilateral requests will only be considered with agreement of the other side.

A party must keep a backup witness in the courthouse and ready to testify at each trial, and no recess or continuance for lack of an available witness will be granted unless the moving party provides proof of service of a subpoena or notice to appear.

At trial, parties must supply at least three sets of exhibits, each exhibit being properly pre-labeled after specific numbering/lettering schemes, stored in tabbed binders with columns, and the court will accept only properly labeled/marked exhibits on the day of trial.

Exhibits must be pre-marked and exchanged at least 10 days before the trial date unless the court directs otherwise.

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