Santa Barbara Superior Court Filing Rules

A party who participates electronically must print and file a hardcopy Certificate of Completion by the time allowed to complete PEACE attendance.

Counsel must submit requested voir dire questions for the court’s consideration at the pre-trial conference.

A person seeking a remote appearance based on extenuating circumstances must file local Form SC-2073.

A request for a remote appearance based on extenuating circumstances must be filed on local Form SC-2073.

The required pretrial submission must include the evidence-binder table of contents, a complete witness list, and a Trial Brief.

Designated employees, contractors, and consultants must file their forms when they assume or terminate employment in a designated classification and annually while classified.

The remote-appearance request must be filed at least 10 calendar days before the hearing.

The Zoom appearance request form must be filed at least 10 calendar days before the hearing.

The jury instructions must be filed within 18 hours.

Each party must file, serve, and email the required trial-preparation materials five court days before the Trial Confirmation Conference.

Exhibits must be arranged in the order shown on the Exhibit List.

Microsoft Word is preferred for the jury-instruction submission.

Note: Please email copies to the Judge's clerk in Word format at srebernik@sbcourts.org.

Plaintiff/Petitioner uses exhibit numbers 1–200; Defendant/Respondent uses 201–400.

If an attorney’s business card does not show the CA State Bar license number, the number must be handwritten on the card.

To the extent practicable, supporting papers should be served by 10:00 a.m. on the court day before the hearing.

If not already done, each lead trial counsel shall, within eighteen (18) hours, file, serve and, e-mail to the court at dgeck@sbcourts.org as an e-mail attachment

Each party must serve the required trial-preparation materials on all counsel of record five court days before the Trial Confirmation Conference.

Parties must exchange the Exhibit List and proposed exhibits at least five business days before the hearing or trial, unless the court sets another date; physical copies are allowed, and electronic delivery to a self-represented party requires consent and use of the party’s verified email address.

Parties must exchange the Exhibit List and organized proposed exhibits at least five business days before the scheduled hearing or trial, unless the court sets another date; electronic delivery to a self-represented party requires consent and use of that party’s verified email address.

Publishing errors or omissions should be reported to the Executive Officer using the provided contact information.

Each lead trial counsel must email the jury instructions to the court at the specified address as an attachment.

Contact Judicial Assistant Reagan Ha by phone to set an ex parte matter.

To request a civil ex parte matter, contact the judicial secretary by phone.

To request a civil ex parte hearing, contact Judicial Secretary Torey Winn by telephone.

If an administrative-record filing exceeds 10 volumes, the filer may lodge an electronic version of all volumes on a flash drive, CD, or DVD instead of e-lodging the documents.

Jury trial briefs must be filed electronically at least five court days before trial.

Trial briefs must be filed electronically using eFiling code “Trial Brief.”

A nontrial, nonevidentiary noticed hearing may be continued by the specified request methods; contested matters require a written stipulation from all affected parties if proceeding by stipulation, and requests or stipulations must be filed at least three court days before the hearing.

Last-minute cancellations and date changes for an MSC are not authorized.

Bring courtesy copies of all exhibits to court on the first day of trial for the court, witness, clerk, and each counsel.

A courtesy copy of each jury-trial brief must be emailed at least five court days before trial.

Email a courtesy copy of the jury trial brief to the stated address.

Checks, drafts, and money orders may be used to pay fees, service charges, fines, or bail deposits if tendered in the manner and amount required by the referenced manual.

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.

The party demanding a jury must pay daily jury fees to the courtroom clerk beginning on the second trial day; multiple demanding parties may allocate payment by stipulation or court order, and nonpayment may result in waiver of a jury trial.

If any part of an e-lodged record is confidential, the lodging party must clearly identify and separate the record into a public-access version, if any portion is not confidential, and a confidential version.

To lodge an MSC brief confidentially, select “Settlement Conference Statement” as the eFiling code.

To the extent feasible based upon the urgency of the application and the conditions necessitating that the order be sought on an emergency basis, the party providing notice shall attempt to settle all issues to be raised at the hearing by initiating settlement discussions with the responding party.

Motions in limine are usually heard on the first day of trial.

Attachments are limited to 5 pages combined, but the presiding judge may permit more pages or other matter on application and for good cause.

A petition for appointment of a special administrator may not be combined with a petition for appointment of a general personal representative, and a separate Judicial Council form must be used for a petition for special letters of administration.