Judge Thomas A. McCarthy Rules & Standing Orders | Court Rules

Limits & Logistics

Courtesy Copies

Courtesy copies

Court-wide

1 copy

Adjournments

2Business Daysnotice

To cancel or reschedule a matter, email the courtroom clerk within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

Communication

Email

Clerk

sydney.alexander@courts.mo.gov

Scheduling

Phone

314-622-4372

Filters:

Document Filing Requirements1 rule

Filing RequirementsCivil cases

After scheduling a case, the attorney signing up the matter must electronically file a notice of hearing within 24 hours of signing up said cause on this website.

Stl City:947b6ee680c2fa120a32af80|SectionSCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Filing & Service rules

Electronic Filing Rules

The attorney who schedules a case must electronically file the notice of hearing.

After scheduling a case, the attorney signing up the matter must electronically file a notice of hearing within 24 hours of signing up said cause on this website.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Filing Timing and Cure Windows

The notice of hearing must be filed within 24 hours after the case is scheduled on the website.

After scheduling a case, the attorney signing up the matter must electronically file a notice of hearing within 24 hours of signing up said cause on this website.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Dispositive motions must be scheduled and submitted at least 60 days before a trial setting in a general trial division.

Pursuant to Division 1’s docket procedures, all dispositive motions shall be scheduled and submitted at least 60 days before a trial setting in a general trial division.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Adjournment & Extension Requirements

To cancel or reschedule a matter, email the courtroom clerk within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

To cancel or reschedule any matter, you must email the courtroom clerk within two business days of scheduled hearing date.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Chambers Communication Rules

Email the courtroom clerk to cancel or reschedule a matter, within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

To cancel or reschedule any matter, you must email the courtroom clerk within two business days of scheduled hearing date.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Schedule testimonial motions on Thursdays if possible; contact the courtroom clerk by email if another date is needed.

Testimonial motions shall be scheduled on Thursdays if possible. If another date is needed for a testimonial motion, please contact the courtroom clerk at sydney.alexander@courts.mo.gov. to obtain that date.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Please contact my assistant, Flakeisha Cheeks, at 314-622-4372, or at flakeisha.cheeks@courts.mo.gov, or my clerk, Sydney Alexander, at sydney.alexander@courts.mo.gov, for any assistance.

Please contact my assistant, Flakeisha Cheeks, at 314-622-4372, or at flakeisha.cheeks@courts.mo.gov, or my clerk, Sydney Alexander, at sydney.alexander@courts.mo.gov, for any assistance.

Civil cases

Page 1 | SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

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

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

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

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

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.

More categories

View all City of St. Louis Circuit Court rules

Common questions about Judge Thomas A. McCarthy's rules

What must be included with notice of hearing filings before Judge Thomas A. McCarthy?

After scheduling a case, the attorney who signed it up must electronically file a notice of hearing within 24 hours.

View ruleSource: page 1, section SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

How may parties contact Judge Thomas A. McCarthy's chambers?

Email the courtroom clerk to cancel or reschedule a matter, within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

View ruleSource: page 1, section SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Thomas A. McCarthy?

Requests should be made at least 2 business days in advance when this rule applies before Judge Thomas A. McCarthy. To cancel or reschedule a matter, email the courtroom clerk within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

View ruleSource: page 1, section SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Is electronic filing required before Judge Thomas A. McCarthy?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. The attorney who schedules a case must electronically file the notice of hearing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

What filing deadlines does Judge Thomas A. McCarthy set?

The notice of hearing must be filed within 24 hours after the case is scheduled on the website.

View ruleSource: page 1, section SCHEDULE A MOTION HEARING IN DIVISION 17 EQUITY DIVISION IN 2026

Complete rules summary for Judge Thomas A. McCarthy

Schedule testimonial motions on Thursdays if possible; contact the courtroom clerk by email if another date is needed.

After scheduling a case, the attorney who signed it up must electronically file a notice of hearing within 24 hours.

The attorney who schedules a case must electronically file the notice of hearing.

The notice of hearing must be filed within 24 hours after the case is scheduled on the website.

Dispositive motions must be scheduled and submitted at least 60 days before a trial setting in a general trial division.

To cancel or reschedule a matter, email the courtroom clerk within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

Email the courtroom clerk to cancel or reschedule a matter, within two business days of the scheduled hearing date.

Please contact my assistant, Flakeisha Cheeks, at 314-622-4372, or at flakeisha.cheeks@courts.mo.gov, or my clerk, Sydney Alexander, at sydney.alexander@courts.mo.gov, for any assistance.

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