Angelina County Courts at Law Document Filing Requirements

CRITICAL

Applies to

Court recorder log

The court recorder must make a detailed, legible log containing the specified information for each recorded proceeding.

Making a detailed, legible log for all proceedings being recorded, indexed by the date and location of each event being recorded, and showing the number and style of the proceeding before the court, the correct name of each person speaking, the nature of the proceeding (e.g. voir dire, opening, examination of witnesses, cross-examination, argument, bench conferences, whether in the presence of the jury, etc.), the time of the day of each event and, the offer, admission or exclusion of all exhibits;

CRITICAL

Applies to

Pre trial and post trial motions and responses

Pre-trial and post-trial motions and responses must be in writing.

Pre-trial & Post-trial Motions and Responses shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by a proposed Order granting the relief sought.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Request for hearing

Must include

certificate of conference

A hearing request must include a written Certificate of Conference stating the relied-upon authority, the parties’ good-faith but unsuccessful efforts to resolve the matter, and the matters in dispute; the conference-content requirement does not apply to summary-judgment or venue-transfer motions.

A request for hearing shall be accompanied by a Certificate of Conference, which shall: a. be in writing; b. include authority relied upon by movant or respondent; C. contain a certificate that: 1. The movant and respondent have conferred with each other and in good faith have attempted to resolve the matter; but have failed, and, 2. identifies the matters in dispute;. d. be filed prior to hearing. e. Section 3.2.3 (c) does not apply to motions for summary judgment or motions to transfer venue.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Application to be placed on public appointment list

The application to join the Public Appointment List must include the phone and email addresses Court personnel will use for appointment and hearing-setting notices.

These phone and email addresses shall be included in the attorneys Application To Be Placed On Public Appointment List and shall be the official numbers which will be utilized by Court personnel to notify counsel of their appointment and of hearing settings.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Juror summons

Juror summonses must include information about health and safety precautions and COVID questionnaires addressing prospective jurors’ exposure or vulnerability.

Courts must include with juror summonses information on precautions that have been taken to protect the health and safety of prospective jurors and COVID questionnaires that elicit from prospective jurors information about their exposure or vulnerability to COVID-19.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury instructions

Additional questions, definitions, and explanatory instructions arising from either party’s submission must be furnished to the court and opposing counsel before jury selection.

Any additional questions, definitions and explanatory instructions raised as a result of either of the plaintiff's or defendant's submission shall be furnished to. the court and to opposing counsel prior to jury selection.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Appendix

When a party cannot afford costs, the court recorder must transcribe the recorded reporter’s record and file it as the party’s appendix along with all exhibits.

If a party is unable to afford costs, the court recorder must transcribe or have transcribed the recorded reporter’s record and file the transcription as that party’s appendix, along with all exhibits.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Hearing materials

A party must bring information establishing that parent's net resources and ability to pay child support, including the most recent pay stub, to the hearing.

Bring to the hearing: 4.1 Information sufficient to accurately identify that parent's net resources and ability to pay child support, including, but not limited to, the party's most recent pay stub;

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Request for advance payment of investigative and expert expenses

A request for advance payment of investigative or expert expenses may be filed pretrial, ex parte, and confidentially, and must state the applicable investigation or expert type, supporting facts, and itemized anticipated expenses.

Appointed counsel may file with the trial court a pretrial ex parte confidential request for advance payment of investigative and expert expenses. The request for expenses must state, as applicable: (a) the type of investigation to be conducted or the type of expert to be retained; (b) specific facts that suggest the investigation will result in admissible evidence or that the services of an expert are reasonably necessary to assist in the preparation of a potential defense; and (c) an itemized list of anticipated expenses for each investigation or each expert.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury instructions

Defense counsel announcing ready for trial must submit the defendant’s proposed instructions, definitions, and pleading-raised questions to the court and opposing counsel on the day of docket call.

Each defense counsel announcing ready for trial shall submit to the court and opposing counsel on the day of docket call all proposed instructions, definitions and questions raised by the defendant's pleadings.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Fee payment request

Appointed counsel must itemize fee payment requests on approved forms and submit them to the presiding judge for approval before submitting them to the county auditor for payment.

All fee payment requests must be itemized by appointed counsel on forms approved by the District and County Court at Law Judges. All requests shall be submitted to the Judge presiding over the proceedings for review and approval, and submitted to the county auditor for payment.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Expense request denial

A denial of an expense request must state written reasons, be attached to the confidential request, and be submitted with that request as a sealed exhibit to the record.

If the court denies in whole or in part the request for expenses, the court shall: (a) state the reasons for the denial in writing; (b) attach the denial to the Confidential request; and (c) submit the request and denial as a sealed exhibit to the record.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Written notice of contact number change

Any change to the official phone or FAX numbers must be given in writing to each County and District Court before the change.

Any change in these numbers shall be given in writing to each County and District Court prior to the change.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Original petition

The petitioner must attach this order to the original petition and every copy; if the petitioner fails to do so, the clerk must attach it when the petition is filed.

5.1 The Petitioner shall attach a copy of this order to the original petition and to each copy of the petition. At the time the petition is filed, if the Petitioner has failed to attach a copy of this order to the petition and any copy of the petition, the Clerk shall ensure that a copy of this order is attached to the petition and every copy of the petition presented.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Application for appointment of attorney

The defendant must complete the paperwork for appointment of an attorney.

What: Complete the paperwork for appointment of Attorney and,

CRITICAL

Applies to

Pleading

Must include

ai disclosure

A pleading using generative AI without the exact verification in bold print will not be considered by the Court.

If an attorney or self-represented litigant utilizes generative Al in their work product, research, or drafting of a pleading, and that pleading fails to contain the exact, verbatim verification in bold print as set forth above, the pleading will not be considered by the Court.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Financial questionnaire

Anyone requesting an appointed attorney must complete a financial questionnaire.

If you are requesting an appointed attorney, you must complete a financial questionnaire form.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Hearing materials

A party must bring information showing the parent's net resources and ability to pay child support, including the most recent pay stub, to the hearing.

Bring to the hearing: 4.1 Information sufficient to accurately identify that parent's net resources and ability to pay child support, including, but not limited to, the party's most recent pay stub;

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Application to be placed on public appointment list

The application to be placed on the Public Appointment List must include appointed counsel's phone and fax numbers.

These phone and FAX numbers shall be included in the attorneys Application To Be Placed On Public Appointment List

CRITICAL

Applies to

Petition

The Petitioner must attach a copy of the order to the original petition and every copy of the petition.

5.1 The Petitioner shall attach a copy of this order to the original petition and to each copy of the petition.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Expense request denial

If the court denies any part of an expense request, it must state its reasons in writing and attach the denial to the confidential request.

If the court denies in whole or in part the request for expenses, the court shall: (a) state the reasons for the denial in writing; (b) attach the denial to the Confidential request;

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order

When the Master tenders a copy of the appointment order, the clerk of the assigned county’s court must record it in the court minutes.

The Clerk of the Court of any County in the State to which this Master may be assigned shall record a copy of this Order in the Minutes of the Court upon the tender of a copy of this Order by the Master.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Request for investigative and expert expenses

Counsel may file a pretrial ex parte confidential request for investigative or expert expenses, and the request must state the applicable investigation or expert type, supporting facts, and itemized anticipated expenses.

Appointed counsel may file with the trial court a pretrial ex parte confidential request for payment of investigative and expert expenses. The request for expenses must state, as applicable: (a) the type of investigation to be conducted or the type of expert to be retained; (b) specific facts that suggest the investigation will result in admissible evidence or that the services of an expert are reasonably necessary to assist in the preparation of a potential defense; and (c) an itemized list of anticipated expenses for each investigation or each expert.

WARNING

Applies to

Notice of court setting

Judges should include with notices of court settings information for vulnerable individuals or those who live with or are caregivers for vulnerable individuals setting out how those individuals can request accommodations to reduce the appearance of those individuals at the courthouse.

Judges should include with notices of court settings information for vulnerable individuals or those who live with or are caregivers for vulnerable individuals setting out how those individuals can request accommodations to reduce the appearance of those individuals at the courthouse.

WARNING

Applies to

Billing records

The Court may order an attorney to produce invoices, fee agreements, and contemporaneous time logs associated with a pleading.

The Court may order an attorney to produce all invoices, fee agreements, and contemporaneous time logs associated with the pleading in question to verify the absence of fraudulent billing practices.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Attorney qualification form

The applicant must swear or affirm to the listed qualifications.

swear or affirm that my qualifications are as follows:

WARNING

Applies to

Certificate

A person who completes the seminar and pays the appropriate fee is to receive a certificate to file with the Court.

appropriate fee shall receive a certificate to file with the rach person completing the seminar and paying the Court.

WARNING

Applies to

Supplemental appendix

The appellate court may direct a party to file a supplemental appendix containing a written transcription of additional portions of the recorded reporter’s record.

The appellate court may direct a party to file a supplemental appendix containing a written transcription of additional portions of the recorded reporter’s record.

WARNING

Applies to

Pleading

The Court may require the non-compliant attorney or self-represented litigant to physically attach full-text copies of all cited case law, with the precise portions referenced explicitly highlighted, for all future pleadings filed in this Court.

The Court may require the non-compliant attorney or self-represented litigant to physically attach full-text copies of all cited case law, with the precise portions referenced explicitly highlighted, for all future pleadings filed in this Court.