Stanislaus Superior Court Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

A party may seek enforcement of the criminal discovery order without obtaining a further court order if it first made the informal request described in Penal Code section 1054.5(b).

This order shall be in effect in all criminal proceedings and there shall be no need to seek a further order of Court prior to seeking an enforcement of this order as long as the party seeking enforcement has made an informal request described in Penal Code section 1054.5(b).

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

A party asserting work product, another privilege, or a good cause exception must do so by noticed motion, which must be heard before the trial readiness conference.

Any party asserting a work product or other privilege, pursuant to Penal Code Section 1054.6 or a good cause exception, must assert that privilege or exception by noticed motion, which shall be heard prior to the date of the trial readiness conference.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Motion dates must be reserved with the assigned department’s courtroom clerk before filing.

Motion dates must be reserved with the courtroom clerk of the assigned department prior to filing.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 10, 2026CRITICAL

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

A Penal Code section 995 motion must be heard by a judge other than the assigned trial judge.

Motions pursuant to Penal Code section 995 shall be heard by a judge other than the assigned trial judge.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Before submitting a motion, counsel must give all counsel and any CASA at least two business days’ notice and set forth responses received, except for motions to quash protective custody warrants.

Prior to submission of all motions, save and except for Motions to Quash Protective Custody Warrants, counsel submitting the motion mush give all counsel (and CASA if there is a CASA) a minimum of two business days’ notice of the request, and set forth all responses received.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

A party requesting an informal discovery conference must file a request for case management conference and specify that an IDC is desired as part of a Family Centered Case Resolution Order.

Parties requesting an IDC shall file a request for case management conference and specify that an IDC is desired as part of a Family Centered Case Resolution Order.

CRITICALProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Before a hearing on a contested Probate calendar petition, the parties and their attorneys must make a reasonable, good-faith effort to resolve the dispute face-to-face if possible, or otherwise by telephone or video conference.

A. In the event of any contest or objection to any petition on the Probate calendar, the parties and their respective attorneys, if any, shall make a reasonable and good faith attempt to informally resolve the controversy at a face-to-face meeting, if possible, and otherwise by telephone or video conference, before any hearing of the contested petition.

CRITICAL

All parties must meet and confer about contested matters before entering the courtroom.

All parties are ordered to meet and confer before entering the courtroom regarding any contested matter.

CRITICAL

Law and Motion dates must be reserved with the assigned department’s courtroom clerk before filing.

Law and Motion dates must be reserved with the courtroom clerk of the assigned department prior to filing.

CRITICAL

A contested matter expected to take more than ten minutes must be noticed and heard on a contested calendar within statutory timelines.

Any contested matter that will take more than ten minutes to resolve shall be noticed and will be heard on a contested calendar within the statutory timelines.

CRITICAL

Law and Motion and contested hearing dates must be reserved with the assigned department’s courtroom clerk before filing, and the reservation must state the estimated time needed for the motion.

Law and Motion and contested hearing dates must be reserved with the courtroom clerk of the assigned department prior to filing and must state an estimate of the time needed for the motion.

CRITICAL

In family law matters other than domestic violence matters, parties or counsel must meet and confer in person or by phone before the hearing and make a good-faith effort to settle all issues.

On all requests for order(s), motions and hearings in family law matters, excluding any matters involving domestic violence, each party, or that party’s counsel, shall meet and confer in person or by phone before the hearing date and shall make a good faith attempt to settle all issues in the request for order(s), even if a complete settlement is not possible and only conditional agreements are made.

CRITICAL

Compliance with the settlement conference rules, attendance at the Joint Settlement Conference, and full participation by both parties and attorneys are mandatory; noncompliance results in sanctions after a noticed hearing.

Therefore, compliance with these Settlement Conference Rules, attendance at Joint Settlement Conference, and full participation by both parties and attorneys are all mandatory. After a noticed hearing, sanctions will be imposed for non-compliance.

CRITICAL

A Joint Settlement Conference is mandatory in family law matters requiring a case management conference and must occur before the case proceeds to settlement conference and trial.

A Joint Settlement Conference must be held in all family law matters requiring a case management conference before the case will proceed to settlement conference and trial. A Joint Settlement Conference is mandatory.

CRITICAL

The parties and their attorneys must meet and attend the Joint Settlement Conference, except when a current no-contact restraining order exists and both parties are self-represented; experts and professional advisors may attend at each party’s option.

Except in cases where there exists a current restraining order prohibiting personal contact with the other party and both parties are self-represented, the parties and their respective attorneys shall meet to attempt to settle all issues in the case at the Joint Settlement Conference. Attendance by the attorneys and parties is mandatory; attendance by experts and professional advisors is permitted at the option of each party.

CRITICAL

The Joint Settlement Conference must take place between 90 and 30 days before the date initially set for the settlement conference.

The Joint Settlement Conference shall take place no sooner than ninety (90) days and no later than thirty (30) days before the date initially set for the settlement conference.

CRITICAL

All Law and Motion ex parte matters require approval and scheduling by the assigned judge through the courtroom clerk before filing with the Probate Clerk’s Office.

D. All Law and Motion ex parte matters must be approved and scheduled by the assigned judge through their courtroom clerk, prior to filing documents with the Probate Clerk’s Office.

CRITICAL

Before a hearing on a contested Probate calendar petition, the parties and their attorneys must make a reasonable, good-faith effort to resolve the dispute informally, meeting face-to-face if possible or otherwise by telephone or video conference.

A. In the event of any contest or objection to any petition on the Probate calendar, the parties and their respective attorneys, if any, shall make a reasonable and good faith attempt to informally resolve the controversy at a face-to-face meeting, if possible, and otherwise by telephone or video conference, before any hearing of the contested petition.

WARNINGProposed or draft document; may not be in force

The Court may order an informal discovery conference when a discovery motion is filed or, as part of a Family Centered Case Resolution Order, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for the parties to respond.

The Court may order an IDC when a discovery motion is filed, or otherwise upon reasonable notice to the parties with opportunity to respond, as part of a Family Centered Case Resolution Order.

WARNING

If a contested matter is urgent and notice requirements were not met, the parties must be prepared to explain good cause for the lack of notice.

If time is of the essence regarding a contested matter, and notice requirements were not met, the parties shall be prepared to explain good cause for absence of notice.

WARNING

An IDC must be scheduled no earlier than 1:30 p.m.; represented parties appear through counsel while their clients remain available in person or by telephone, and unrepresented parties appear in person.

The IDC shall be scheduled at or after 1:30 p.m., in order to utilize available conference rooms. Represented parties shall appear by counsel only, though clients must be available, either in person or by telephone, for the duration of the IDC. Unrepresented parties shall appear in person.

WARNING

Counsel must confer before the case is called to assess whether argument will exceed 15 minutes and must advise the assigned department’s clerk if both agree it will.

On or prior to the day of a hearing, counsel shall meet and confer prior to the call of the case and determine if the anticipated hearing time exceeds 15 minutes. If both concur that more than 15 minutes of argument will be necessary, they shall advise the clerk in the department to which the case has been assigned for all purposes.

WARNING

Counsel attending the conference must be thoroughly familiar with and prepared to discuss the case; the attorney responsible for its preparation and trial should attend.

In each case, counsel who attends the conference shall be thoroughly familiar with the case and shall be prepared to discuss it. The attorney responsible for the preparation and trial of the case should attend the settlement conference.

WARNING

All persons whose consent is needed for a binding settlement agreement are expected to be present; the Court may allow telephone availability only for good cause raised before the conference.

Experience has demonstrated the importance and necessity of the presence of all persons whose consent will be required for a binding settlement agreement. Only on good cause prior to the time of the settlement conference may the Court allow such persons to be available telephonically.

INFOProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Calendar Management sets hearing dates in coordination with the assigned judge’s courtroom clerk.

Hearing dates will be set by Calendar Management in conjunction with the courtroom clerk of the judge assigned to hear the motion.

INFOProposed or draft document; may not be in force

A party may object to an IDC at the case management conference and be heard without filing a formal written objection.

Any other party may object to the IDC at the case management conference and be heard as to the objection without the need for formal written objection.

INFO

Parties are expected to narrow issues as much as possible to use court time efficiently.

The parties are expected to narrow the issues as much as possible, so court time can be used efficiently resolving issues that cannot otherwise resolve.

INFO

Rules 7.16 through 7.19 apply to the court’s contested trial calendar.

Rules 7.16-7.19 apply to the court’s contested trial calendar.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Any party asserting a work product or other privilege, pursuant to Penal Code Section 1054.6 or a good cause exception, must assert that privilege or exception by noticed motion, which shall be heard prior to the date of the trial readiness conference. The factual showing establishing a claim of work product, privilege, or good cause need not be set forth in the motion or accompanying points and authorities. The factual showing may be made to the court in-camera upon the moving party's request. The request to make an in-camera showing shall be made in the motion.

Summary: A party asserting work product, another privilege, or a good-cause exception must do so by noticed motion heard before the trial readiness conference; the factual showing may be made in camera on request, which must be included in the motion.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

Petitioners may then submit the matter to the Clerk’s Office for ex parte consideration by the Court to dispense with notice under Family Code § 7666 and terminate the parental rights.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

The Court may order an IDC when a discovery motion is filed, or otherwise upon reasonable notice to the parties with opportunity to respond, as part of a Family Centered Case Resolution Order.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Failure to appear, or to participate in good faith, may result in monetary or other sanctions if the Court schedules a noticed hearing on those issues.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

All proceedings described in paragraph B, above, are required to have a settlement conference within approximately fifteen (15) days of trial.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.INFO?

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

The Calendar Management Department shall assign the judge who will hear the motion.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.INFO?

Proposed or draft document; may not be in force

If the parties agree, they may submit a stipulation and order for an IDC.