Bruce F. Hilton is chief district on the St. Louis County Circuit Court (Missouri's 21st Judicial Circuit) and is assigned to Division 13. The circuit serves St. Louis County.
This judge's published procedures are found in the Division 13 document.
Courtesy-copy rule applies for motions, pretrial motions, motion in limines, and proposed jury instructions. Details: delivery at least one week prior to trial, by email. All outstanding motions, pre-trial motions, motions in limine, and proposed jury instructions must be e-mailed to chambers at Bruce.Hilton@courts.mo.gov at least one week before trial.
Yes. A pre-motion letter is required for discovery and sanctions. Before any discovery dispute (including motions to compel or for sanctions) will be heard in Division 13, counsel must meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve the dispute and file the joint Memorandum before obtaining a hearing date from the Division Clerk.
Judge Bruce F. Hilton's formatting rule includes name evidence files using the convention 'pltf ex.1.pdf', multi-page evidence shall be paginated, plaintiff exhibits labeled numerically (1, 2, 3...), defendant exhibits labeled alphabetically (a, b, c...), and include an exhibit index. Exhibits must be named per the evidence convention (e.g., 'Pltf Ex.1.pdf'), multi-page evidence must be paginated, plaintiff exhibits labeled with numbers and defendant exhibits with letters, and an exhibit index must be included.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. The party filing a motion must file a notice of hearing for an agreed-upon date stating whether the motion will be heard in person or by WebEx.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Any notice for a WebEx hearing must include the WebEx Meeting ID (146 015 3265), meeting room link (https://mocourts.webex.com/meet/vcdiv13mtg), and call-in number (1-408-418-9388).
Yes. Judge Bruce F. Hilton requires bundling for covered papers. Summary judgment motions under Rule 74.04 RSMo must be filed as a single package containing the motion, statement of uncontroverted facts, supporting memorandum, response in opposition with statement of uncontroverted facts, reply, and any permitted sur-replies, by the court-set deadline.
The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. Discovery must be served no later than 30 days before the discovery deadline.
Discovery must be served no later than 30 days before the discovery deadline.
Summary judgment motions under Rule 74.04 RSMo must be filed as a single package containing the motion, statement of uncontroverted facts, supporting memorandum, response in opposition with statement of uncontroverted facts, reply, and any permitted sur-replies, by the court-set deadline.
All outstanding motions, pre-trial motions, motions in limine, and proposed jury instructions must be e-mailed to chambers at Bruce.Hilton@courts.mo.gov at least one week before trial.
Proposed jury instructions should be submitted in Word format.
The party filing a motion must file a notice of hearing for an agreed-upon date stating whether the motion will be heard in person or by WebEx.
Any notice for a WebEx hearing must include the WebEx Meeting ID (146 015 3265), meeting room link (https://mocourts.webex.com/meet/vcdiv13mtg), and call-in number (1-408-418-9388).
Counsel must set a pre-trial conference at which outstanding motions are heard no later than 10 calendar days (including weekends) before trial, and motions not heard by then are deemed abandoned.
Parties must present objections to designated deposition testimony they intend to enter into the record to the court for a ruling at the pre-trial conference.
Parties must present an exhibit list and the exhibits to the court and court reporter for marking at the pre-trial conference.
Parties must provide copies of all exhibits for the other parties, witnesses, and the Court.
Exhibits must be named per the evidence convention (e.g., 'Pltf Ex.1.pdf'), multi-page evidence must be paginated, plaintiff exhibits labeled with numbers and defendant exhibits with letters, and an exhibit index must be included.
Parties must comply with Local Rule 29 (Use of Information Technology Equipment in the Court) to use any technology at trial.
Parties must provide the court with proposed or agreed-upon Early Case Summary language (per Rule E1.01) no later than 5 days before the pre-trial conference.
Parties must provide the court with proposed or agreed-upon questions regarding juror litigation history (per Rule 69.025) no later than 5 days before the pre-trial conference.
A copy of the summary judgment package must be e-mailed to Judge Hilton's chambers at Bruce.Hilton@courts.mo.gov in Word format.
Motions to suppress and motions in limine must be filed at least three business days before the pretrial conference and will be heard at that conference.
Jury instructions must be filed no later than the pretrial conference date.
Before any discovery dispute (including motions to compel or for sanctions) will be heard in Division 13, counsel must meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve the dispute and file the joint Memorandum before obtaining a hearing date from the Division Clerk.
The joint Memorandum regarding the good faith meet-and-confer effort must set forth the meeting date and format, attending attorneys' names and bar numbers, meeting length, a description of unresolved disputes with the discovery requests and objections attached, and a certification that clients were informed of the meeting.
A party may be excused from the in-person meet-and-confer requirement for good cause shown, such as opposing counsel's refusal to respond to requests to meet and confer.
When excusal is sought because opposing counsel refused to meet and confer, the moving party's motion must state what sanctions it seeks against the non-complying party.