Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
Court-wideExhibit List
Court-wide- 1 copy • Email • At Least Five Court Days Before Trial
Exhibits
Court-wide- 4 copies • Hand Delivery • On First Day of Trial
Joint Statement of the Case
Court-wide- 1 copy • Email
Adjournments
Court-wide
Communication
Chambers
Clerk
Phone
Chambers
Phone
Court-widePhone
Court-widePhone
Court-wideDocument Format Requirements10 rules
1. Exhibits shall be numbered serially, single sided and without designation as “Plaintiff’s” or “Defendant’s”.
2. Each party shall be assigned a block of numbers sufficient for the number of exhibits to be offered by that party, with the lowest numbered block assigned to the plaintiff.
3. There shall be a separate, numbered tab in the binder for each exhibit or group exhibit.
7. Please label the bookends of the exhibit binders to indicate which exhibit numbers are contained within the binder.
5. Impeachment exhibits need not be in the evidence binder, but a numbered tab for a “reserved” exhibit must be in the evidence binder for each such exhibit.
4. Each group exhibit shall have an internal numbering system (Bates stamp or pagination.
6. Medical bills or invoices shall be tabbed separately from medical records.
The required jury-trial submissions must be emailed as attachments in Microsoft Word format.
Court's wording
Five court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference, each party shall file, serve and email to all counsel of Record, to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org, and to the Judge's clerk at nreigelman@sbcourts.org as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format the following:
Note: Please email copies to the Judge's clerk in Word format at srebernik@sbcourts.org.
Formatting
- •Copies emailed to the Judge's clerk must be in Word format
The required trial-preparation materials must be sent as email attachments, with Microsoft Word preferred.
Formatting
- •Submit the materials as email attachments; Microsoft Word is preferred
Court's wording
Five court days prior to Trial Confirmation Conference date, each party shall file, serve, and email to all counsel of record and to the court, at csterne@sbcourts.org, as an email attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) the following:
Document Filing Requirements7 rules
The required pretrial submission must include the evidence-binder table of contents, a complete witness list, and a Trial Brief.
Court's wording
Five court days prior to Trial Confirmation Conference date, each party shall file, serve, and email to all counsel of record and to the court, at csterne@sbcourts.org, as an email attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) the following: 1. The table of contents of the party’s evidence binder. 2. A complete witness list 3. A Trial Brief
No deposition transcript shall be read in court until a condensed or other copy has been furnished to the court.
At least three court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference date, all parties shall meet and confer and prepare a joint evidence binder with sufficient copies for the witness stand, the bench, and each side in the case.
The parties must provide the court with a final trial time estimate at the commencement of a court trial or at the jury-trial Pretrial Conference, covering the listed trial components.
Court's wording
Time estimates and Examination of Witnesses. At the commencement of Court trials, or at the jury trial Pretrial Conference, the parties will provide to the Court the final time estimate for trial, including jury selection, jury instruction, opening statements, closing arguments and all examination of witnesses including direct examination, cross-examination, redirect, re-cross, rebuttal examination and so forth.
No audio or video tape shall be played unless a transcript of the audio has been submitted to the court and counsel 24 hours prior to playing the tape, absent a showing of good cause.
Each party must submit numbered requested CACI instructions, their proposed text, any requested special instructions with authorities, a proposed verdict form, and a joint Statement of the Case or separate statements if the parties disagree.
Court's wording
Five court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference, each party shall file, serve and email to all counsel of Record, to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org, and to the Judge's clerk at nreigelman@sbcourts.org as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format the following: 1. A list of the parties’ requested CACI instructions, by number. 2. A document containing the text of each CACI instruction as the party wants it given; and 3. The text of any requested special jury instruction, with supporting authorities. 4. A proposed jury verdict form. 5. A joint Statement of the Case, or one may be submitted by each side if there is disagreement as to the content.
Any voir dire questions that counsel request be considered by the court to be included in the court’s voir dire shall be submitted at the pre-trial conference.
Filing & Service rules
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
Each party must file, serve, and email the required trial-preparation materials five court days before the Trial Confirmation Conference.
Five court days prior to Trial Confirmation Conference date, each party shall file, serve, and email to all counsel of record and to the court, at csterne@sbcourts.org, as an email attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) the following:
Page 2 | Pretrial Preparation
The transcript must be submitted to the court and counsel 24 hours before the tape is played, unless good cause is shown.
No audio or video tape shall be played unless a transcript of the audio has been submitted to the court and counsel 24 hours prior to playing the tape, absent a showing of good cause.
Page 5 | Trial Requirements
Each party must file, serve, and email the required jury-trial submissions five court days before the Trial Confirmation Conference.
Five court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference, each party shall file, serve and email to all counsel of Record, to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org, and to the Judge's clerk at nreigelman@sbcourts.org as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format the following:
Page 6 | Jury Trials
Service and Proof of Service Rules
Each party must serve the required trial-preparation materials on all counsel of record five court days before the Trial Confirmation Conference.
Five court days prior to Trial Confirmation Conference date, each party shall file, serve, and email to all counsel of record and to the court, at csterne@sbcourts.org, as an email attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) the following:
Page 2 | Pretrial Preparation
Each party must serve the required jury-trial submissions on all counsel of record.
Five court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference, each party shall file, serve and email to all counsel of Record, to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org, and to the Judge's clerk at nreigelman@sbcourts.org as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format the following:
Page 6 | Jury Trials
Before an exhibit is marked for identification, copies must be delivered to the court and opposing counsel, or, for good cause, opposing counsel must at least have an opportunity to inspect and review it.
No exhibit during trial shall be marked for identification until copies have been delivered to the court and opposing counsel or, at a minimum and for good cause shown, opposing counsel has had an opportunity to inspect and review the exhibit.
Page 6 | Trial Requirements
Filing Fees and Waivers
Initial jury fees must be posted 25 days before trial and are payable upon receipt of the courtroom clerk’s invoices; when both parties request a jury, fees are split unless otherwise agreed or ordered.
Jury Fees. Initial Jury fees must be posted 25 days prior to trial. If more than one party has demanded a jury, the amount payable by each party may be determined by stipulation or order of the court. Jury fees are due and payable upon receipt of the jury fees invoice from the courtroom clerk. There will be two invoices. The first will be presented to counsel upon completion of voir dire and selection of the Jury. The second invoice will be presented to counsel upon rendering of the verdict and release of the Jury. If both parties have requested a jury, the fees will be split between the parties, unless otherwise stipulated or agreed.
Page 7 | Jury Fees
Chambers Communication Rules
Email the required trial-preparation materials to the court at csterne@sbcourts.org as attachments.
Five court days prior to Trial Confirmation Conference date, each party shall file, serve, and email to all counsel of record and to the court, at csterne@sbcourts.org, as an email attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) the following:
Page 2 | Pretrial Preparation
Email copies to the Judge's clerk in Word format at srebernik@sbcourts.org.
Note: Please email copies to the Judge's clerk in Word format at srebernik@sbcourts.org.
Page 2 | Pretrial Preparation
Each party must email the required jury-trial submissions to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org.
Five court days prior to the Trial Confirmation Conference, each party shall file, serve and email to all counsel of Record, to the Judge at csterne@sbcourts.org, and to the Judge's clerk at nreigelman@sbcourts.org as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format the following:
Page 6 | Jury Trials
Contact Judicial Assistant Reagan Ha by phone to set an ex parte matter.
To set an ex parte matter, contact Judicial Assistant Reagan Ha at (805) 882-4570.
Page 2 | Ex Parte Matters
You may call the Judicial Assistant about trial-date viability, but she cannot confirm whether your case will go out to trial; she can provide specified calendar information, while final priority is generally unavailable until the conference.
As your Trial Confirmation Conference date approaches, you may wish to contact Judicial Assistant Reagan Ha, at (805) 882-4570 concerning the viability of your initial Trial date. She will NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHETHER YOU ARE DEFINITELY GOING OUT OR NOT. She will be able to advise you if the court is currently engaged in a trial, and how many matters are set on your Trial Confirmation Conference date. The final trial priority of cases is determined by the judge, and that priority is generally unavailable until the actual Trial Confirmation Conference.
Page 2 | Trial Calendar Status Inquiries
At noon each day, counsel must notify the court and opposing counsel of the witnesses expected the following day and as far ahead as practicable.
At noon each day, each counsel shall notify the court and opposing counsel of the witnesses anticipated to be called the following day and as far into the future as practicable.
Page 5 | Trial Requirements
The parties must notify the court and counsel at the Pretrial Conference of any need for a foreign-language interpreter during trial.
Parties shall arrange for any foreign language interpreters required during trial, shall notify the court and counsel of any such need for an interpreter at the Pretrial Conference,
Page 6 | Trial Requirements
Before calling a witness who requires an interpreter, counsel must notify the bailiff and request a chair for the interpreter at the witness box.
and shall notify the bailiff before calling a witness requiring an interpreter and request the bailiff to place a chair at the witness box for the interpreter.
Page 6 | Trial Requirements
Counsel are encouraged to discuss anticipated matters with the judge before trial begins or at the end of the day to reduce sidebar requests.
Sidebar conferences are disfavored. Juries dislike them, because they feel information is being hidden. Counsel is encouraged to meet with the judge in the morning before trial begins or at the end of the day, to discuss any anticipated matters and to minimize surprises that may lead to a sidebar request.
Page 8 | Sidebar Conferences