Blackford County Courts, Indiana Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Proposed preliminary and final jury instructions must be on 8½-by-11-inch paper, double-spaced, with legal authority and an indication of the court’s disposition at the bottom.

Proposed preliminary and final instructions, special or pattern, in civil cases and in criminal, shall be submitted on 8 ½ x 11 paper, double spaced, with legal authority and indication for the court’s disposition placed on the bottom of the instruction.

CRITICAL

Proposed jury instructions must be submitted on disc or by e-mail in a format compatible with the particular Court’s system.

The Courts require proposed Jury Instructions to be submitted on disc or e-mail formatted for the particular Court’s system.

CRITICAL

Filed papers must meet the stated letter-size, flat-filing, fastening, and typewritten double-spacing requirements, with oversized originals reduced where possible.

Files of the clerk shall be kept under the system commonly known as “flat filing,” and all papers presented to the court for filing shall be 8 ½ by 11, flat and unfolded. Original, oversized documents may be filed as part of a pleading, but shall be reduced to 8 ½ x 11 where possible. Type written pages shall have no covers or backs and shall be fastened at the top, but at no other place. All pleadings shall be typewritten on unlined paper, with double spacing between lines and paragraphs.

CRITICAL

Proposed instructions must also be presented to the court on computer disk or by e-mail in a format compatible with the court’s equipment.

These instructions shall also be presented to the court on computer disk or by e-mail, and formatted in a manner consistent with the court’s equipment.

CRITICAL

Challenges must be made at the bench outside prospective jurors’ hearing using uniform-size slips of paper, unless the court directs otherwise.

Challenges shall be made at the bench outside the hearing of the prospective jurors and shall be made by use of slips of paper of uniform size or as otherwise directed by the court.

CRITICAL

When counsel requests findings and conclusions under Trial Rule 52, counsel must submit proposed findings and conclusions in writing and on disc or by email in a format compatible with the Court’s system.

In all cases where counsel has requested findings of fact and conclusions of law under Trial Rule 52, counsel shall be required to submit proposed findings and conclusions both in written form and on disc or e-mail formatted for the particular Court’s system.

WARNING

Exhibits need not be pre-marked by the final pre-trial conference, but should be marked before foundational testimony or comments; documentary evidence should, where feasible, be three-hole punched and supplied in quantities sufficient for juror notebooks.

Exhibits need not be pre-marked at or before the final pre-trial conference. However, all exhibits should be pre-marked prior to any foundational testimony or comments prior to their offer into evidence, and where feasible, all documentary evidence should be three-hole punched, and in sufficient quantities to remain in each juror’s trial notebook.

WARNING

Counsel wishing the same to be mailed to them should furnish to the Bailiff an envelope, with sufficient postage, for such purpose.

Counsel wishing the same to be mailed to them should furnish to the Bailiff an envelope, with sufficient postage, for such purpose.

WARNING

Counsel requesting return of file-marked copies must provide the clerk with a self-addressed, sufficiently stamped envelope.

Counsel filing pleadings by mail, or otherwise, and who request the return of file marked copies, shall furnish the clerk with self-addressed envelopes with sufficient postage attached for such return.

WARNING

However, all exhibits should be pre-marked prior to any foundational testimony or comments prior to their offer into evidence, and where feasible, all documentary evidence should be three hole punched, and in sufficient quantities to remain in each juror’s trial notebook.

However, all exhibits should be pre-marked prior to any foundational testimony or comments prior to their offer into evidence, and where feasible, all documentary evidence should be three hole punched, and in sufficient quantities to remain in each juror’s trial notebook.

INFO

Exhibits are not required to be pre-marked by the final pre-trial conference.

Exhibits need not be pre-marked at or before the final pre-trial conference.