San Diego Superior Court Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone

If a hearing, conference, or trial date is imminent, the plaintiff must immediately notify the court by phone or in person.

The plaintiff must also immediately notify the court by phone or in person if a hearing, conference, or trial date is imminent.

CRITICAL

If a court with jurisdiction requests an exhibit for further proceedings, the submitting party must contact that court, arrange delivery, and notify this court and all counsel of record.

In the event the exhibit is requested for further proceedings by any court having jurisdiction over the case, the submitting party shall contact the requesting court and make arrangements for the delivery of said exhibit, with notice to this court and all counsel of record.

CRITICAL

If a case settles, the plaintiff must immediately give the court written notice.

if a case is settled, the plaintiff must immediately give the court written notice.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone to clerk

If a qualifying amended pleading is filed before the hearing, the party who filed the demurrer or specified motion must call the independent calendar clerk to request that the hearing be vacated as moot.

If an amended pleading is filed in accordance with the Code of Civil Procedure section 472 or pursuant to leave of court prior to the hearing date, the party who filed a demurrer, motion to strike and/or motion for judgment on the pleadings must call the independent calendar clerk and request the hearing be vacated as moot.

CRITICAL

Litigants who fax file must contact the business office during its hours of operation to confirm receipt of the transmission.

Litigants wishing to fax file must contact the business office during hours of operation to confirm receipt of transmission.

CRITICAL

Self-represented parties and attorneys must inform the judicial officer of relevant restraining, criminal protective, and child custody or visitation orders, provide a copy of the restraining order, and keep the court updated on the orders’ status.

All self-represented parties and attorneys must inform the judicial officer hearing any temporary or permanent domestic violence, family, civil harassment, juvenile, or elder abuse (i.e., “personal conduct”) restraining order, or any hearing involving child custody and visitation of the existence of any temporary or permanent personal conduct restraining order, criminal protective order, or order regarding child custody and visitation, that involves any party to the case pending before that court. The parties must also provide the court with a copy of the restraining order and have a continuing duty to update the court regarding the status of such orders.

CRITICAL

Parties must notify the court as soon as possible when they enter into a settlement agreement that resolves the case.

If the parties have entered into a settlement agreement that resolves the case, the parties must notify the court as soon as possible.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone to clerk

A party filing a notice requesting additional time to complete a settlement must telephone the assigned department and tell the clerk; failure to do so may result in dismissal.

Any party who files a notice requesting additional time to complete a settlement under California Rules of Court, rule 3.1385(e), must also telephone the assigned department and advise the clerk that such a notice has been filed. Failure to contact the assigned department may result in a dismissal of the case.

CRITICAL

Reserve a hearing date online or through the assigned judge’s calendar clerk; without a reservation, the hearing will not be heard.

Any party, or attorney for a party, who desires to have any demurrer, motion, ex parte application, or order to show cause set for hearing must reserve a hearing date through the online reservation system at http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov or by contacting the calendar clerk for the judge assigned to the case; if the case was initially assigned to an independent calendar judge for all purposes but then reassigned to another judge for trial, post judgment motions other than enforcement issues (e.g., motions for new trial seeking to vacate the judgment, attorneys fees, and/or costs) should be set in the department that tried the case and not the independent calendar department. Failure to reserve a date for hearing will result in the demurrer, motion, ex parte application, or order to show cause hearing not being heard.

CRITICAL

In a criminal case where a criminal protective order is sought or issued, the prosecuting attorney must investigate and disclose to the judicial officer any relevant personal conduct restraining order involving a party.

The prosecuting attorney must investigate and disclose to the judicial officer hearing any criminal case in which a temporary or permanent criminal protective order is sought or issued, of the existence of any temporary or permanent domestic violence, family, civil harassment, juvenile or elder abuse (i.e., “personal conduct”) restraining order that involves any party to the criminal case.

CRITICAL

Contact

Phone to clerk

The moving party must promptly call the independent calendar clerk to take a motion off calendar; filing a notice is insufficient.

The moving party must promptly call the independent calendar clerk to take the motion off calendar; filing a notice requesting the clerk remove the matter from the court's calendar or a “notice of withdrawal of motion” is insufficient.

CRITICAL

Within 15 days after filing the Notice of Death of the Plaintiff, plaintiff’s counsel must contact the assigned department to schedule a status conference.

Within 15 days of filing a Notice of Death of the Plaintiff, counsel for plaintiff must contact the assigned department to schedule a status conference.

CRITICAL

A party or attorney filing an Environmental Leadership CEQA Challenge must contact the assigned department to request a case management conference within five days of filing.

A party and/or its attorney filing an Environmental Leadership CEQA Challenge pursuant to the Public Resources Code must contact, within five days of the filing, the department to which the Petition/Complaint is assigned to request a case management conference be set to ensure compliance with the time requirements for CEQA cases.

CRITICAL

After reserving a hearing date for summary judgment or summary adjudication, the moving party must file the motion and must call the independent calendar clerk to take it off calendar no later than two days after the last date to serve moving papers if it will not proceed.

Failure to file a Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudication after reserving a date with the calendar clerk, or failing to call the independent calendar clerk to take the hearing off calendar no later than two days after the last date to serve moving papers pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure, section 437c, is deemed to be a waste of judicial resources and a violation of local rules.

WARNING

Notice of a remote appearance or opposition to one may not be given by phone.

Notice of a remote appearance or opposition to a remote appearance may not be given by calling or emailing the court.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to duty judge

A Temporary Emergency Gun Violence Protective Order may be requested by calling the Duty Judge; oral requests will not be recorded or transcribed.

A Temporary Emergency Gun Violence Protective Order (“GV-EPO”) may be requested by calling the Duty Judge. Oral GV-EPO requests will not be recorded or transcribed.

WARNING

When a case initially assigned to an independent calendar judge is reassigned to another judge for trial, post-judgment motions other than enforcement issues should be set in the department that tried the case.

Any party, or attorney for a party, who desires to have any demurrer, motion, ex parte application, or order to show cause set for hearing must reserve a hearing date through the online reservation system at http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov or by contacting the calendar clerk for the judge assigned to the case; if the case was initially assigned to an independent calendar judge for all purposes but then reassigned to another judge for trial, post judgment motions other than enforcement issues (e.g., motions for new trial seeking to vacate the judgment, attorneys fees, and/or costs) should be set in the department that tried the case and not the independent calendar department.

WARNING

A request for a voluntary settlement conference should be made by contacting the clerk in the department of the proposed settlement conference judicial officer.

A request for a voluntary settlement conference should be made by contacting the clerk in the department of the proposed Civil Settlement Conference judicial officer.

WARNING

Requests for disability accommodations should be made as far in advance as possible and pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 1.100.

Such requests shall be made as far in advance as possible and pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 1.100.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

In the court’s discretion, pending matters may be removed from calendar following plaintiff’s counsel’s telephone request or counsel’s representation of the three stated settlement conditions.

Pending matters may be removed from the court calendar, in the discretion of the court, if plaintiff’s counsel contacts the court by telephone and requests to go on a dismissal calendar or if counsel represents: 1. There is a signed settlement agreement; 2. There are no unrepresented litigants; and 3. All un-served parties or parties not participating in the settlement will be dismissed.