Court Rules

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Document Format Requirements3 rules

FormattingMandatory

All instructions shall be submitted in 14-point font, Times New Roman on Microsoft Word.

Font
Times New Roman
Font size
14 points
Applies to
  • Jury instructions

Formatting

  • Submit on Microsoft Word
FormattingImportant

Exhibits should be marked for identification prior to trial.

FormattingImportant

Plaintiff should use numbers and defendant should use letters.

Document Filing Requirements11 rules

Filing RequirementsMandatory

In addition to hard copies, the parties must provide proposed instructions to the Court on a compact disc, flash drive, or by email.

Court's wording

In addition to providing hard copies, the parties shall provide to the Court, prior to opening statements, their proposed instructions on a compact disc, flash drive, or by email to the Court at Christopher.McGraugh@courts.mo.gov.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Proposed converse or responsive jury instructions shall be provided to the Court not later than the morning after receiving the other party’s proposed jury instructions.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Counsel and the parties shall return their prospective juror questionnaire and list to the courtroom clerk at the conclusion of voir dire.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Unless the Court directs otherwise, the party with the burden of proof must provide proposed jury instructions to the Court and all parties.

Court's wording

As required by Local Rule 53, and unless otherwise directed by the Court, the party with the burden of proof on a claim or defense shall provide their proposed jury instructions to the Court, and to all parties, not later than the conclusion of voir dire.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Plaintiff shall also provide a proposed numerical order that the instructions should be numbered and read to the jury.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Parties shall submit a hard dirty copy of each instruction proffered. The dirty copy shall contain citations of authority and indicate the submitting party.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Counsel shall provide a witness list to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party prior to trial.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Any party offering interrogatories and answers as evidence shall first provide to the Court and the opposing party a written list which separately sets out in full each interrogatory together with response thereto.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

An exhibit list shall be provided to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party prior to trial.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

Any paper or exhibit not previously marked for identification shall be marked and handed to opposing counsel for review, before it is tendered to the Court or a witness for examination.

Filing RequirementsMandatory

After the Court rules on objections, the offering party must provide the Court and all parties written deposition delineations identifying the deponent and the page and line numbers offered into evidence.

Court's wording

Once the deposition portions that a party intends on using as evidence at trial has been identified, after objections have been presented and ruled on by the Court, the party offering the deposition portion into evidence shall present the Court and all parties, a written deposition delineations setting forth the name of the deponent along with all page and line numbers of the portions of the deposition being offered into evidence.

Filing & Service rules

Filing Timing and Cure Windows

The parties must provide the Court with proposed jury instructions in an electronic medium before opening statements.

In addition to providing hard copies, the parties shall provide to the Court, prior to opening statements, their proposed instructions on a compact disc, flash drive, or by email to the Court at Christopher.McGraugh@courts.mo.gov.

Page 2 | JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Proposed jury instructions from the party with the burden of proof are due no later than the conclusion of voir dire, unless the Court directs otherwise.

As required by Local Rule 53, and unless otherwise directed by the Court, the party with the burden of proof on a claim or defense shall provide their proposed jury instructions to the Court, and to all parties, not later than the conclusion of voir dire.

Page 2 | JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Proposed converse or responsive jury instructions are due to the Court by the morning after the other party’s proposed instructions are received.

Proposed converse or responsive jury instructions shall be provided to the Court not later than the morning after receiving the other party’s proposed jury instructions.

Page 2 | JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

Before presenting any motion to the Court, counsel must make a good-faith effort to resolve disputed issues with opposing counsel.

Prior to presenting any motion to the court, counsel shall make a good faith effort to resolve disputed issues with opposing counsel.

Page 3 | TRIAL

Motions should be scheduled as soon as possible, preferably by the week before trial; unless otherwise scheduled, the clerk sets them for 1:30 p.m. on the Thursday before trial.

Subject to Local Rule 33, all motions, including motions in limine, may be scheduled by contacting the courtroom clerk. These matters should be scheduled as soon as possible and preferably no later than the week before trial. Unless otherwise specifically scheduled, such motions shall be scheduled by the courtroom clerk for 1:30 pm on the Thursday preceding the day the trial is scheduled.

Page 3 | TRIAL

Chambers Communication Rules

Remaining deposition objections must be presented to the Court well in advance of the proposed use so the Court can rule and counsel can make necessary edits.

Any remaining objections must be presented to the Court for a ruling well in advance of the proposed use of the deposition, so that the Court can rule on any objections in time for counsel to make the necessary edits without wasting jury time.

Page 5 | EVIDENCE/EXHIBITS

Exhibits may be used during opening statements only with opposing counsel’s consent and advance notice to the Court.

Use of exhibits during opening statements is permitted as long as there is consent from opposing counsel and notice to the Court in advance.

Page 5 | EVIDENCE/EXHIBITS

Motions, including motions in limine, may be scheduled by contacting the courtroom clerk, subject to Local Rule 33.

Subject to Local Rule 33, all motions, including motions in limine, may be scheduled by contacting the courtroom clerk.

Page 3 | TRIAL

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 47 rules apply across City of St. Louis Circuit Court. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Communication

All 13
  • Courtroom #1 requires live attendance, but the Court may allow virtual attendance for good cause if requested at least 5 days before the hearing; live attendance is encouraged, with exceptions if warranted.

  • Affected counsel are encouraged to contact the assigned general division to check the status of cases ranked ahead of theirs.

  • If counsel learns that the assigned division will not reach the case, counsel may contact Division 1 to seek reassignment so trial can begin as scheduled.

Filing Requirements

All 10
  • Applies to
    Witness list

    Counsel must provide a witness list to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party before trial.

  • Applies to
    Jury instructions

    Each party bearing the burden of proof on a claim or defense must provide proposed jury instructions to the Court and the other parties by the conclusion of voir dire, unless the Court directs otherwise.

  • Applies to
    Jury instructions

    Each proffered instruction must be submitted in both a clean copy and a dirty copy.

Filing Timing

All 6
  • Applies to
    Dispositive motion

    Dispositive motions must be scheduled and submitted at least 60 days before trial, or they may not be heard absent good cause.

  • Applies to
    Dispositive motion

    Dispositive motions shall be heard more than 60 days prior to a trial setting.

  • Proposed jury instructions from each party bearing the burden of proof are due no later than the conclusion of voir dire, unless the Court directs otherwise.

Formatting

All 5
  • Jury instructions must use 14-point Times New Roman and be prepared on Microsoft Word.

  • In addition to providing hard copies, the parties are expected to be able to make changes while in chambers; therefore, counsel shall bring their instructions on a compact disc, flash drive, or email them to the Court.

  • Exhibits should be marked for identification before trial.

Common questions about Judge Christopher E. McGraugh's rules

Does Judge Christopher E. McGraugh require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Before presenting any motion to the Court, counsel must make a good-faith effort to resolve disputed issues with opposing counsel.

View ruleSource: page 3, section TRIAL

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Christopher E. McGraugh?

Judge Christopher E. McGraugh's formatting rule includes times new roman font, 14 point type and submit on microsoft word.. All jury instructions must use 14-point Times New Roman and be submitted on Microsoft Word.

View ruleSource: page 2, section JURY INSTRUCTIONS

What must be included with proposed jury instructions filings before Judge Christopher E. McGraugh?

In addition to hard copies, the parties must provide proposed instructions to the Court on a compact disc, flash drive, or by email.

View ruleSource: page 2, section JURY INSTRUCTIONS

What must be included with witness list filings before Judge Christopher E. McGraugh?

Counsel must provide a witness list to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party before trial.

View ruleSource: page 3, section TRIAL

How may parties contact Judge Christopher E. McGraugh's chambers?

Remaining deposition objections must be presented to the Court well in advance of the proposed use so the Court can rule and counsel can make necessary edits.

View ruleSource: page 5, section EVIDENCE/EXHIBITS

What filing deadlines does Judge Christopher E. McGraugh set?

Proposed jury instructions from the party with the burden of proof are due no later than the conclusion of voir dire, unless the Court directs otherwise.

View ruleSource: page 2, section JURY INSTRUCTIONS
Complete rules summary for Judge Christopher E. McGraugh

In addition to hard copies, the parties must provide proposed instructions to the Court on a compact disc, flash drive, or by email.

Counsel must provide a witness list to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party before trial.

Unless the Court directs otherwise, the party with the burden of proof must provide proposed jury instructions to the Court and all parties.

Proposed jury instructions from the party with the burden of proof are due no later than the conclusion of voir dire, unless the Court directs otherwise.

Proposed converse or responsive jury instructions must be provided to the Court by the morning after receiving the other party’s instructions.

Proposed converse or responsive jury instructions are due to the Court by the morning after the other party’s proposed instructions are received.

Each proffered instruction must be submitted in a hard dirty copy containing citations of authority and identifying the submitting party.

The parties must provide the Court with proposed jury instructions in an electronic medium before opening statements.

All jury instructions must use 14-point Times New Roman and be submitted on Microsoft Word.

The plaintiff must provide a proposed numerical order for numbering and reading the instructions to the jury.

Counsel and the parties must return the prospective juror questionnaire and list to the courtroom clerk at the conclusion of voir dire.

Motions, including motions in limine, may be scheduled by contacting the courtroom clerk, subject to Local Rule 33.

Motions should be scheduled as soon as possible, preferably by the week before trial; unless otherwise scheduled, the clerk sets them for 1:30 p.m. on the Thursday before trial.

Before presenting any motion to the Court, counsel must make a good-faith effort to resolve disputed issues with opposing counsel.

Exhibits should be marked for identification before trial.

An exhibit list must be provided to the Court, court reporter, and opposing party before trial.

Plaintiff should identify exhibits by number, and defendant should identify exhibits by letter.

Before an unmarked paper or exhibit is tendered to the Court or a witness, it must be marked for identification and handed to opposing counsel for review.

A party offering interrogatories and answers as evidence must first provide the Court and opposing party a written list setting out each interrogatory and its response in full.

Remaining deposition objections must be presented to the Court well in advance of the proposed use so the Court can rule and counsel can make necessary edits.

After the Court rules on objections, the offering party must provide the Court and all parties written deposition delineations identifying the deponent and the page and line numbers offered into evidence.

Exhibits may be used during opening statements only with opposing counsel’s consent and advance notice to the Court.

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