St. Joseph County Superior Court, Indiana Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Motions for continuances must be in writing.

All motions for continuances shall be in writing and shall set forth specifically the grounds asserted for such motion.

CRITICAL

A proposed order must be a separate document from the related motion or application.

Any proposed order shall be a document that is separate and apart from the motion or application to which it relates

CRITICAL

A deed submitted for Court approval in an estate or guardianship proceeding must be signed by the fiduciary and notarized before submission, unless the Court permits otherwise.

However, if a deed is submitted to the Court for approval, in either estate or guardianship proceedings, it shall be signed by the fiduciary and the signature notarized prior to its submission, unless the Court permits otherwise.

CRITICAL

Accounts must follow the prescribed statutory format; informal, handwritten, and transactional accountings will not be accepted.

All accounts shall follow the prescribed statutory format. Informal, handwritten, or transactional accountings will not be accepted.

CRITICAL

Corporate bonds must have the insurance underwriter’s and insurance agency’s names and addresses typed or printed on them.

The name and address of the insurance underwriter as well as the name and address of the insurance agency providing the corporate surety shall be typed or printed on all corporate bonds.

CRITICAL

Pre-trial motions must be filed in writing with adequate notice to opposing counsel and the Court, unless the party has prior written leave of Court.

Unless a party has prior, written leave of Court, all pre-trial motions shall be filed in writing with adequate notice provided to opposing counsel and the Court.

CRITICAL

A summons filed with the Clerk must substantially conform to the form in Appendix C.

A summons filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of St. Joseph County shall be in substantial conformity with the form attached at Appendix C to these local rules.

CRITICAL

Pleadings, motions, and other papers shall be either legibly printed or typewritten on white opaque paper so that it is readable. The paper should be eight and one-half inches (8 ½”) in width and eleven inches (11”) in length as required by Administrative Rule 11. All copies, when required, shall likewise be on white paper of sufficient strength and durability to resist normal wear and tear.

Pleadings, motions, and other papers shall be either legibly printed or typewritten on white opaque paper so that it is readable. The paper should be eight and one-half inches (8 ½”) in width and eleven inches (11”) in length as required by Administrative Rule 11. All copies, when required, shall likewise be on white paper of sufficient strength and durability to resist normal wear and tear.

CRITICAL

Exhibits must be marked before trial or evidentiary hearings, or during trial recesses, in accordance with the Official Court Reporter’s practice.

All exhibits shall be marked in advance of trial or other evidentiary hearings or during recesses in the trial in accordance with the practice of the Official Court Reporter so that the trial is not delayed for the marking of exhibits.

CRITICAL

A claim or counterclaim must use the Clerk-provided claim form or a substantially similar form approved by the Court.

Counsel and parties filing a claim or counterclaim must use the claim form provided by the Clerk or a substantially similar form, if approved by the Court.

CRITICAL

Pleadings must conform to the Court-designed form or layout, and the Court may strike pleadings that fail the QUEST or Odyssey requirements or create undue hardship for assigned Court staff.

Pleadings shall conform to the form or layout designed by the Court pursuant to LR71-TR77-201.3.5. The Court reserves the right to strike any pleading that does not conform to the requirements of the Quest or Odyssey case management systems, or that create an undue hardship for Court staff who are assigned to prepare and/or complete entries and orders in those case management systems.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders must be on white letter-size paper, numbered, and leave the bottom four inches of the last page blank.

The proposed order shall be on white paper, 8 ½” x 11” in size, and each page shall be numbered. The last page of the proposed order shall contain a line for the date, either “Dated _____” or “Signed on the date filemarked hereon.” On the last page there also shall be a line for the signature of the Judicial Officer under which shall be typed “Judge or Magistrate, St. Joseph [Circuit or Superior or Probate] Court.” To allow compliance with the notice requirements of Rule 72(D), Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure, the lower four (4) inches of the last page of the proposed order shall be left blank. The proposed order shall also include a prepared proof of notice under T.R. 72(D), and in preparing such a notice the filing party shall complete all portions of the prepared proof of notice.

CRITICAL

Accounts must use the prescribed statutory format; informal, handwritten, and transactional accounts are not accepted.

All accounts shall follow the prescribed statutory format. Informal, handwritten, or transactional accounts will not be accepted.

CRITICAL

Margins

top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

Pleadings must be printed on one side with margins of at least one inch; typewritten text must follow the stated spacing and font-size rules, use legible non-script type, and may use italics for quotations, references, or case citations.

Printing shall be on one side of the paper. Margins shall be at least one inch (1”). If typewritten, the lines shall be double-spaced except for quotations, which shall be indented and single-spaced. Typefaces shall be 12 font size or larger within the body of the document and 10 font size or larger in the footnotes. The font type must be legible and script type shall not be used. Italicized type may be used for quotations, references, or case citations.

CRITICAL

Counsel and litigants must use the Court’s Minute Entry Codes to summarize standard entries on the CCS.

The Court’s Minute Entry Codes shall be used by counsel and litigants for summarizing standard entries on the Chronological Case Summary (CCS).

CRITICAL

In that only non-represented litigants may file paper documents with the Clerk, those documents should be flat and unfolded. Documents shall have no covers or backs and shall be fastened together at the top left-hand corner only.

In that only non-represented litigants may file paper documents with the Clerk, those documents should be flat and unfolded. Documents shall have no covers or backs and shall be fastened together at the top left-hand corner only.

CRITICAL

The propounding party must leave space at the end of the interrogatories for the responder’s signature and typed oath or affirmation.

Additional space shall be left by the propounding party at the close of the interrogatories for the signature and appropriate typed oath or affirmation to be supplied by the responder.

WARNING

The Court may designate forms or layouts for pleadings and motions, and may strike pleadings that do not conform to a designated form or layout.

The separate Court may designate the form and/or layout for pleadings and motions to promote clarity, efficiency, and judicial economy, and to ensure compatibility and appropriate interface with the Odyssey and Quest case management systems. Pleadings not conforming to the designated form or layout may be stricken by the Court pursuant to T.R. 88.

WARNING

Parents and attorneys are reminded of their obligation to avoid the use of exaggeration and unnecessarily harsh criticism in their motions and pleadings.

Parents and attorneys are reminded of their obligation to avoid the use of exaggeration and unnecessarily harsh criticism in their motions and pleadings.

WARNING

Under no circumstances should drugs, currency, or other dangerous or valuable items be included in appellate records.

Under no circumstances should drugs, currency, or other dangerous or valuable items be included in appellate records.

WARNING

Each inventory prepared after a partial inventory must recapitulate the prior inventories.

In the event a partial inventory is prepared, all subsequent inventories must contain a recapitulation of prior inventories.

WARNING

The propounding party must leave reasonably anticipated space for an answer after each interrogatory.

After each interrogatory, sufficient blank space shall be left by the propounding party as is reasonably anticipated may be required for the responder’s answer.

WARNING

The Jury Administrator must maintain jury-management records in written format, electronic format, or both.

813.1. Format. Records of the jury management in the Courts shall be maintained, in written format, electronic format, or both, by the Jury Administrator.

WARNING

A request for a hearing on the summary judgment motion must be written.

A written request for a hearing must be received by the Court no later than ten (10) days after the response was filed or is due.

WARNING

Non-documentary and oversized exhibits must remain with the trial court or Administrative Agency and must not be sent to the appellate court during the appeal.

Non-documentary and oversized exhibits shall not be sent to the Appellate level Court but shall remain in the custody of the trial court or Administrative Agency during the appeal.

WARNING

If the parties agree or the Court orders it, a party must send a digital copy of the discovery request by flash drive or email at the same time as forwarding the hard copy.

Whenever agreed by the parties or otherwise ordered by the Court, a party shall forward simultaneously with the hard copy discovery request (interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admissions, or other discovery requests) either a flash drive or an electronic mail message with a copy of the request attached in digital format.

INFO

Photographs of exhibits may be included in the volume of documentary exhibits.

Photographs of any exhibit may be included in the volume of documentary exhibits.

INFO

A deed arising within an estate or guardianship does not require a judge’s signature.

A judge’s signature is not required on a deed arising within an estate or guardianship.

CRITICAL

Bonds filed with the Court must comply with IC 29-1-11-1 et seq.

All bonds filed with the Court shall comply with the provisions of IC 29-1-11-1 et seq.