Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Adjournment & Extension Requirements

CRITICAL

Applications for continuance relating to the argument list must be submitted to the court administrator.

Applications for continuance and other matters relating to such argument list shall be submitted to the court administrator.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applications for additional time to initiate or complete discovery must be made to and decided by the judge assigned to the case.

All applications for the allowance of additional time to initiate or complete discovery shall be made to and disposed of by the judge to whom the case has been assigned.

CRITICALCriminal cases

If a defendant is approved for the diversionary program, the preliminary hearing must be continued so the defendant can be assessed for treatment.

If the defendant is approved for this diversionary program, the Magisterial District Judge shall continue the preliminary hearing to permit the defendant to be assessed to determine whether he must participate in a drug treatment program.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions to stay, continue, postpone, or adjourn a regularly scheduled monthly Sheriff’s sale are heard on the sale morning, generally the second Friday of the month at 9:30 a.m., in a courtroom assigned by the Court Administrator.

Motions to stay, continue, postpone or adjourn the sale of a property at a regularly scheduled monthly Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate (“motions to stay”) shall be heard by the Court on the morning of the scheduled sale, which is generally held on the second Friday of each month, at 9:30 a.m. in a courtroom to be assigned by the Court Administrator.

CRITICALCivil cases

A continuance application must be submitted in writing to the court administrator at least one week before the trial list begins, state its specific grounds, and report whether other counsel oppose it after inquiry; emergency or previously unascertainable circumstances are exceptions.

Except in cases of emergency or circumstances which could not reasonably have been ascertained or known prior thereto, no application for continuance of the trial of any case appearing on the trial list prepared and distributed pursuant to Rules *263 or *265 shall be granted unless presented in writing to the court administrator at least one week prior to the commencement of such trial list. Each application shall set forth the specific grounds for the request and shall also expressly state, after appropriate actual inquiry of all other counsel of record, whether the application is opposed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Only the Court Administrator may grant a continuance, and only for good cause shown and with notice to the parties or their attorneys.

(5) Continuances shall be granted only by the Court Administrator for good cause shown, with notice to the parties or their attorneys.

CRITICALCivil cases

A request to extend the election period must state the facts supporting the request and the desired extension period.

the facts relied upon to justify the extension of time requested and the period of extension desired;

CRITICALCivil cases

Requests to extend case-management deadlines or continue a scheduled trial must be made by motion and will not be entertained without demonstrated exigent circumstances.

Requests to extend case management deadlines or continue the trial once scheduled will not be entertained by the Court absent demonstrated exigent circumstances and must be made by motion.

CRITICALCivil cases

An extension request must be made by petition stating the justification, desired extension period, and consenting interested parties evidenced by their joinder.

A petition for the extension of the time in which the surviving spouse may file an election to take against the will shall be presented to the court within the required statutory period after the probate of the will as required by Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rule 5.4(b). The petition shall set forth the following additional matters: 1. the facts relied upon to justify the extension of time requested and the period of extension desired; 2. the names of the interested parties who have consented to the extension of time as evidenced by their joinder in the petition.

WARNINGCivil cases

On an interested party’s motion, the Court may extend the return day if a reason satisfactory to it explains why service missed the required period.

If for any reason satisfactory to the Court the petition and rule shall not have been served ten days before the return day, or the length of time specially authorized, the Court may extend the return day thereof on motion of any interested party.

WARNINGCivil cases

An interested party may move to extend the return date if service was not timely for a reason satisfactory to the Court, and the Court may grant the extension.

If for any reason satisfactory to the Court the petition and rule shall not have been served ten days before the return day, or the length of time specially authorized, the Court may extend the return day thereof on motion of any interested party.

WARNINGCivil cases

The pre-hearing-statement deadline may be modified only by written agreement or a finding of good cause.

The deadline for filing pre-hearing statements is modifiable only on written agreement or on a finding of good cause.

WARNING

The Court may allow the defendant additional time to file the account statement if cause is shown.

unless the Court shall for cause shown allow a longer time

WARNINGCivil cases

This rule does not govern sales outside the regularly scheduled monthly Sheriff’s Sale; motions concerning other sales proceed at the assigned judge’s discretion.

Note: This rule does not apply to any sale of real property not listed for the regularly scheduled monthly Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate. Motions to stay sales other than those listed for the monthly Sheriff’s Sale shall be filed and proceed in the discretion of the assigned judge.

WARNING

Counsel’s absence generally does not prevent a scheduled conference from proceeding; the officer may modify its time in response to a prior written request stating meritorious reasons.

The respective parties may be represented by counsel, but absence or non- availability of counsel shall not be grounds for failure to proceed at a scheduled conference unless the domestic relations officer in his/her discretion shall have specifically provided otherwise in response to a prior written request setting forth meritorious reasons for modification of the time of the scheduled conference.

WARNINGCriminal cases

The trial judge may extend the District Attorney’s reply-brief deadline for cause shown.

*(h) The reply briefs of the District Attorney shall be filed within 30 days after the filing of the defendant's briefs, unless the time is extended by the trial judge for cause shown.

WARNINGCriminal cases

The trial judge may extend the defendant’s deadline to file briefs for cause shown.

*(g) Within 30 days after the filing of the stenographic transcript, unless the time is extended by the trial judge for cause shown, the defendant shall file his briefs with the clerk and forthwith serve a copy thereof upon the District Attorney.

WARNINGCivil cases

For cause shown, the Court may extend the exceptions deadline by entered special order.

provided that for cause shown the Court may, by special order entered, extend the time for filing exceptions.

INFOCivil cases

The Court may extend the time to file an answer or replication by special order.

*(g) The Court may, by special order, extend the time for filing of the answer or replication.