Circuit Court of Sangamon County, Illinois (7th Judicial Circuit) Document Filing Requirements

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

The party noticing the hearing must provide a copy of these instructions with the Notice of Hearing.

The party noticing up the hearing must also provide a copy of these instructions with the Notice of Hearing

CRITICAL

Applies to

Attorney contact information

Attorney contact information as specified in the standing order must be provided.

Contact information for the attorneys (as set forth above) must be provided.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Final pretrial submissions

The parties must submit the listed pretrial materials and motions, subject to the Court ordering otherwise.

Unless the Court orders otherwise, the parties shall submit the following documents and motions not less than fourteen (14) days before the final pretrial conference. 1. An agreed statement of the case; 2. Witness lists; 3. Exhibit lists prepared in Word format, in the layout demonstrated below, noting whether the exhibit will be admitted without objection or whether there is an objection to the exhibit; Exhibit No. Description Identified Admitted Published Denied Withdrawn * The Exhibit List shall be emailed to the Court in Word format. 4. A list of all demonstrative aids intended for use at trial; 5. Stipulations; 6. One copy of proposed jury instructions containing the instructions on which the parties agree; 7. Any additional jury instructions on which the parties have not agreed; and 8. Any objections remaining in depositions that will be used at trial in lieu of live testimony shall be addressed at the final pretrial conference. Prior to the final pretrial counsel shall confer and attempt to resolve objections and formatting issues in the depositions. Any remaining objections shall be addressed at the final pretrial. 9. If there are numerous objections in depositions and counsel anticipates additional time will be needed to address objections, counsel shall contact the Court in advance of the final pretrial conference to obtain a hearing date prior to trial to address the objections. 10. All Motions in Limine and pretrial motions.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Exhibits

Exhibits must be brought to the final pretrial conference.

Exhibits shall be brought to the final pretrial conference.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Courtesy copy binder

The front and spine of the binder must have a pleading label clearly stating the case name.

There must be a pleading label on the front of the binder as well as the spine clearly stating the case name.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

The party noticing the hearing must provide a copy of these instructions with the Notice of Hearing.

The party noticing up the hearing must also provide a copy of these instructions with the Notice of Hearing

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury instructions

Pattern jury instructions must be used in civil and criminal cases; non-pattern instructions are discouraged unless necessity compels their use.

Pattern jury instructions must be used in criminal cases and civil cases. Non-pattern instructions are discouraged unless necessity compels their use.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury instructions

At the final pretrial conference, counsel must furnish the Court one clean copy without citations or page numbers and one annotated copy of each instruction.

At the final pretrial conference, counsel must furnish the Court with one clean (no citations or page numbers) and one annotated copy of each instruction.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Written appearance or other pleading

Attorneys must file a written appearance or other pleading before addressing the Court, except when presenting a motion for leave to appear by intervention or otherwise.

Every attorney shall file a written appearance or other pleading before addressing the Court unless the attorney is presenting a motion for leave to appear by intervention or otherwise.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Entry of appearance

Attorneys must file an entry of appearance with the Clerk that complies with Rule 131(d), contains specified contact information, and designates one primary and no more than two secondary email addresses.

Every attorney must file an entry of appearance with the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk. The document shall comply with Supreme Court Rule 131(d) and shall bear the attorney’s name, business address, e-mail address, and telephone number. a. The attorney must designate a primary e-mail address and may designate no more than two secondary email addresses. b. The attorney email addresses are mandatory in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 11 so that documents and notices will be served in conformance with the Rules.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

The party who schedules a Zoom hearing must send and file a Notice of Hearing with the Court’s Remote Hearing Instructions attached.

The party who scheduled the hearing is responsible for sending and filing a Notice of Hearing along with the Court’s Remote Hearing Instructions as an attachment.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Every motion must include a proposed order, which must be emailed to the Judge in Word format.

A proposed order shall accompany every motion and be emailed to the Judge in Word format.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Amended witness or exhibit list

If counsel amends a witness or exhibit list after the final pretrial conference, counsel must provide the amended list to the Court no later than one day before trial.

If counsel amends the witness or exhibit list after the final pretrial conference, counsel must provide an amended list (in Word format) to the Court no later than the one day before the trial.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Every motion must be accompanied by a proposed order, which must be emailed to the Judge in Word format.

A proposed order shall accompany every motion and be emailed to the Judge in Word format.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Written appearance or other pleading

Attorneys must file a written appearance or other pleading before addressing the Court, except when presenting a motion for leave to appear by intervention or otherwise.

Every attorney shall file a written appearance or other pleading before addressing the Court unless the attorney is presenting a motion for leave to appear by intervention or otherwise.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Entry of appearance

An attorney must designate one primary email address and may designate no more than two secondary email addresses.

The attorney must designate a primary e-mail address and may designate no more than two secondary email addresses.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

The party who schedules a hearing must send and file a Notice of Hearing with the Court's Remote Hearing Instructions attached.

The party who scheduled the hearing is responsible for sending and filing a Notice of Hearing along with the Court's Remote Hearing Instructions as an attachment.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Entry of appearance

Each attorney must file an entry of appearance with the Circuit Clerk that complies with Rule 131(d) and includes the attorney's name, business address, email address, and telephone number.

Every attorney must file an entry of appearance with the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk. The document shall comply with Supreme Court Rule 131(d) and shall bear the attorney's name, business address, e-mail address, and telephone number.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Courtesy copy

Attorney contact information, as described above, must be provided.

Contact information for the attorneys (as set forth above) must be provided.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

The party noticing a hearing must provide these instructions with the Notice of Hearing and file proof of service.

The party noticing up the hearing must provide a copy of these instructions with the Notice of Hearing and file proof of service.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Witness instructions

If remote witness participation is permitted, the requesting party must give the witness these instructions and the hearing date and time.

If the Court permits a witness to be present for a hearing via Zoom or by telephone, the party requesting the witness’ remote presence shall provide the witness with a copy of these instructions and the date/time of the hearing to ensure timely login.

WARNING

Applies to

Pleading

Each pleading should contain an index of its documents.

Each pleading should contain an index of the documents contained therein

WARNING

Applies to

Pleading

Each pleading should contain an index of the documents it includes.

Each pleading should contain an index of the documents contained therein

WARNING

Applies to

Filing description

When e-filing, filers should make the Filing Description as detailed as possible to help the clerk identify the filing and make it easier to find on the docket.

When e-filing a document, be as detailed as possible in the "Filing Description" so as to assist the clerk in determining what is being filed. (The more detailed the description, the easier it will be to find it on the docket in the future).