Judge Ryan Alexander Luna
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Adjournments
- Except in unusual circumstances, a continuance motion or request must be written and filed at least 48 hours before the affected court event.
Communication
Phone
Clerk
Document Format Requirements7 rules
Exhibits must be submitted in PDF format.
The documents must be in PDF format.
Responses or replies e-filed less than 48 hours before the hearing should also be emailed to the Court Administrator in PDF format.
Any responses or replies e-filed with the Clerk less than 48 hours before the hearing should be emailed in PDF format to the Court Administrator.
A participant's device name must display the participant's given name to be permitted to access a Zoom hearing.
The electronic device used to access a Zoom hearing for any participant must reflect the participant’s given name or they will not be allowed in the hearing.
Attorneys must email requested proposed jury charges to the Court Administrator in Microsoft Word format.
Attorneys must e-mail their requested proposed jury charges in Microsoft Word format to the Court Administrator.
Exhibits must be clearly marked with exhibit labels and exchanged at least 48 hours before any hearing.
However, they must be clearly marked with exhibit labels and must be exchanged at least 48 hours before any hearing.
After filing pleadings, the self-represented litigant should request a hearing in writing from the Court’s Administrator, which may notify the litigant of the hearing date by mail or email.
Once you file your pleadings in the case, you should send a written request for a hearing with the Court’s Administrator who will then notify you by mail or email of the hearing date.
The court encourages Zoom hearings for uncontested matters or matters involving argument only without evidence or testimony.
The court encourages the use of Zoom hearings for matters that are uncontested or require only argument of counsel without the presentation of evidence or testimony.
Document Filing Requirements6 rules
Every filed document must include a signed statement on a separate page confirming that a true and correct copy was mailed to the other side.
You must also attach a separate page of paper to every document you file with a statement that tells the Court you have mailed a true and correct copy of the paperwork to the lawyer on the other side, or to the other party if they do not have a lawyer. You must sign the statement.
Document Type
Filed Document
Every written request to the Court must include a signed statement confirming that a copy was sent to the opposing party.
Any requests to the Court must be made in writing with the signed statement attached that you have sent a copy to the opposing party.
Document Type
Court Request
The court will not set a discovery hearing if the required certificate of conference is missing.
If no certificate of conference is attached, no hearing will be set.
Document Type
Discovery Motion
A certificate of conference must be attached to every discovery motion.
A certificate of conference must be attached to any discovery motion.
Document Type
Discovery Motion
A party seeking an exception to the mediation requirement must file a verified motion with a certificate of conference.
Parties seeking an exception must file a verified motion with a certificate of conference.
Document Type
Motion
In specified family cases, parties must attend the required parenting course or seminar and file the certificate before a final hearing is set.
In divorce cases involving children and in Original Suits Affecting the Parent Child Relationship, parties must attend either the Seminar for Divorcing parents or Co-Parenting Course/Shared Parenting Course and file their certificate before a final hearing will be set.
Document Type
Certificate
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Emailing a response or reply to the Court Administrator does not replace e-filing it with the Clerk.
Please note, email is not a substitute for e-filing with the Clerk.
Page 1 | 414th ZOOM PROCEDURES
An order for the court's consideration must be e-filed as a proposed order or presented to the court administrator before submission to the judge.
Any order for the court’s consideration must be e-filed as a proposed order or be presented to the court administrator prior to submission to the Judge.
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
Cases submitted for the judge’s reference may be emailed to the Court Administrator instead of e-filed with the Clerk, but must be emailed at least four hours before the hearing.
Cases for the judge’s reference need not be e-filed with the Clerk but should be emailed to the Court Administrator at least four hours before the hearing to allow consideration.
Page 1 | 414th ZOOM PROCEDURES
Documents already e-filed and accepted by the Clerk need not be refiled.
Documents which have been e-filed and accepted need not be refiled with the Clerk.
Page 1 | 414th ZOOM PROCEDURES
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
The Court will not consider exhibits that are not timely emailed to the court reporter.
The Court cannot consider any exhibits not emailed to the court reporter in a timely manner.
Page 1 | 414th ZOOM PROCEDURES
Service and Proof of Service Rules
Exhibits must be emailed to all parties and the court reporter at least 24 hours before the hearing.
If you intend to offer any exhibits during the hearing, you will need to email them to all parties and the court reporter no later than 24 hours before the hearing.
Page 1 | 414th ZOOM PROCEDURES
Every filed pleading, answer, motion, or other paper seeking action must be mailed to the opposing party or opposing counsel with a signed service statement on a separate page.
You must file those papers with the Clerk’s office with a true and correct copy of the papers sent to the opposing party’s attorney, if he/she has one, or to the opposing party if he/she does not have a lawyer. You must also attach a separate page of paper to every document you file with a statement that tells the Court you have mailed a true and correct copy of the paperwork to the lawyer on the other side, or to the other party if they do not have a lawyer. You must sign the statement.
Page 1 | Basic Information for Self-Represented Litigants
A copy of each written request to the Court must be sent to the opposing party.
Any requests to the Court must be made in writing with the signed statement attached that you have sent a copy to the opposing party.
Page 2 | Basic Information for Self-Represented Litigants
The self-represented litigant must notify opposing counsel or the opposing party of any obtained court setting or order and file a copy of that notice with the Court.
You must give notice to the opposing attorney or party of any court setting or order that you have obtained. You must file a copy with the Court of such notice to opposing attorney or party.
Page 2 | Basic Information for Self-Represented Litigants
A party must serve written or otherwise verifiable notice of a hearing setting on all other parties within one business day after receiving the setting.
Upon setting a motion or other matter for hearing, a party must serve notice on all other parties in written or other verifiable form, within one business day of receipt of such setting.
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
Exhibits must be clearly marked with exhibit labels and exchanged at least 48 hours before the hearing.
However, they must be clearly marked with exhibit labels and must be exchanged at least 48 hours before any hearing.
Page 2 | Rules of 414th District Court
The attorney scheduling a jury trial must notify all other attorneys of record and pro se parties of the setting under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and provide the court a copy of the notice.
D. The attorney setting the case for jury trial shall provide notification of such setting to all other attorneys of record and pro se parties pursuant to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure , and shall provide the court a copy of such notice.
Page 4 | 1.12 SERVICE OF PROCESS
Exhibits may be emailed to the Court Reporter and Court Administrator before a hearing.
Exhibits may be e-mailed to the Court Reporter and Court Administrator prior to the hearings.
Page 2 | Rules of 414th District Court
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Attorneys must attempt to resolve discovery disputes through discussion before requesting a court hearing.
In all discovery disputes, the attorneys must attempt to resolve through discussion before seeking a hearing with the court
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Except in unusual circumstances, a continuance motion or request must be written and filed at least 48 hours before the affected court event.
Except in unusual circumstances, any continuance motion or request must be in writing and filed not later than 48 hours before the court event for which rescheduling is requested.
Page 1 | 414th District Court Continuance Policy
A continuance will be granted only when the requesting party shows good cause.
The Court will grant a continuance only for good cause shown.
Page 1 | 414th District Court Continuance Policy
Counsel announcing that a jury matter is not ready must file and set a continuance motion by 9:00 a.m. on the Friday before trial, unless opposing counsel withdraws opposition or all parties agree and the court consents to a pass.
No later than 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning before the jury trial setting for the following week, it shall be the duty of each counsel to communicate with the court, in person or by telephone, and announce ready or not ready. If an announcement of not ready is to be made, a motion for continuance must be filed and set no later than that Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. , unless opposing counsel advises the court that no contest will be made to the motion, or unless the case is passed by agreement of all parties and consent of the court.
Page 4 | 1.14 JURY DOCKET CALL
A party seeking a hearing on a continuance motion must request it immediately upon filing or receiving the motion and, except in unusual circumstances, should direct the written request to the Court Administrator.
Any party requesting a hearing on a motion for continuance must do so immediately upon filing or receiving the motion. Except in unusual circumstances, the hearing request should be directed to the Court Administrator in writing.
Page 1 | 414th District Court Continuance Policy
The Court strongly disfavors continuance motions and requests, especially requests to continue trial dates.
For all of its case types and dockets, the Court looks with strong disfavor on motions or requests to continue court events. To protect the credibility of scheduled trial dates, trial-date continuances are especially disfavored.
Page 1 | 414th District Court Continuance Policy
The listed circumstances generally will not constitute sufficient cause to grant a continuance.
As a guide to practitioners, the following will generally not be considered sufficient cause to grant a continuance: The case probably will settle if a continuance is granted; Discovery has not been completed; New counsel has entered an appearance in the case or a party wants to retain new counsel; Unavailability of a witness who has not been subpoenaed; Plaintiff has not yet fully recovered from injuries when there is no competent evidence available as to when plaintiff will be fully recovered; A party or counsel is unprepared to try the case for reasons including, but not limited to, the party's failure to maintain necessary contact with counsel; Page 1 of 2 ===== PAGE 2 ===== The failure to schedule the hearing on a suppression motion on a timely basis unless the prosecution failed to comply with a discovery order; A police officer or other witness is either in training or is scheduled to be on vacation, unless the Court is advised of the conflict soon after the case is scheduled and sufficiently in advance of the trial date; Any continuance of trial beyond a second trial date setting.
Page 1 | Generally Insufficient Cause for Continuance
When possible, the rescheduled court event must occur no later than 30 days after the original continued date unless the motion states a different specific period.
Whenever possible, the Court shall hold the rescheduled court event not later than 30 days after the date from which it was continued, unless a specific amount of time is stated in the motion.
Page 2 | Rescheduling of Court Events
The listed circumstances generally constitute sufficient cause to grant a continuance.
The following will generally be considered sufficient cause to grant a continuance: Sudden medical emergency (not elective medical care) or death of a party, counsel, or material witness who has been subpoenaed; A party did not receive notice of the setting of the trial date through no fault of that party or that party's counsel; Facts or circumstances arising or becoming apparent too late in the proceedings to be fully corrected and which, in the view of the Court, would likely cause undue hardship or possibly miscarriage of justice if the trial is required to proceed as scheduled; Unanticipated absence of a material witness for either party; Illness or family emergency of counsel.
Page 2 | Generally Sufficient Cause for Continuance
Chambers Communication Rules
Hearing and trial settings must be scheduled through the Court Administrator's office by phone or email.
Settings (hearings/trials) must be scheduled through the Court Administrator’s office, via phone or email.
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
An attorney must discuss the details of a special hearing setting with the Court Administrator.
The attorney will need to discuss the specifics with the Court Administrator to allow for a special setting.
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
Attorneys must confirm with the administrator before scheduling a telephone hearing.
The attorneys will need to confirm with the administrator before scheduling any such hearing.
Page 1 | Rules of 414th District Court
Requests about court settings should be directed by phone to the Court Administrators at 254-757-5053.
Request regarding settings should be directed to the Court Administrators at 254-757-5053.
Page 1 | Settings