Richmond City Circuit Court, Virginia Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICAL

The written date-setting documents may be filed only after the court's docketing procedures have selected the date.

These documents are only to be filed after the date has been selected pursuant to the docketing procedures of the Court.

CRITICAL

The Clerk of Court must receive and file pleadings when they are tendered.

The Clerk of Court must receive and file all pleadings when tendered, see Rule 3:3.

CRITICAL

The certification disclosing AI use in proposed exhibits is due ten days before any trial or evidentiary hearing.

Henceforth all attorneys and pro se litigants shall also, ten (10) days before any trial or evidentiary hearing, file a certification disclosing the use of AI in any proposed exhibits (including demonstrative exhibits).

CRITICAL

Absent leave of Court, briefs must be filed and served at least 14 days before the hearing, while briefs in opposition must be filed and served at least 7 days before it.

Absent leave of the Court, a brief shall be filed and served at least 14 days before the hearing and any brief in opposition generated in response must be filed and served at least 7 days before the hearing.

CRITICAL

Briefs must be filed with the Court and served on counsel and/or unrepresented parties early enough for the issues to be considered before the hearing.

Briefs shall be filed with the Court and served on counsel and/or unrepresented parties far enough in advance of hearing to allow for consideration of the issues involved.

CRITICAL

Motions should be filed as far in advance of trial as practicable and may not be filed outside the time periods prescribed by Virginia law or court rules.

Motions should be filed in writing with the clerk’s office as far in advance of trial as practicable, but in no event shall any party file a motion outside of any time periods as may be proscribed by the Code of Virginia or Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

CRITICAL

Unless the assigned judge waives compliance, counsel must submit and copy all parties on proposed jury instructions two days before trial.

Pursuant to Rule 1:15(c) and Rule 3A:16 (b), this Court directs that counsel for all parties, unless compliance is waived by the judge assigned to hear the case, must, two days prior to a jury trial date, submit to the court a copy of all instructions such counsel proposes to request via hand-delivery of a hard copy to the attention of the Law Clerk assigned to the Presiding Judge, copying all parties.

WARNING

The Court strongly encourages parties to docket and notice motions before trial rather than seek to postpone trial to hear them.

To avoid the issues that arise due to last minute preparation, the Court strongly encourages: • Docketing and noticing any motions in advance of trial. It is an imposition on the witnesses, as well as jurors in the event the matter is docketed for jury, to appear at the trial date requesting to postpone the commencement of trial until after motions are heard.

WARNING

If the parties have resolved their matter or wish to remove the trial or hearing date(s) from the docket, they should file the appropriate pleadings to either dispose of the case or remove the matter from the docket immediately and email a courtesy copy to the Judicial Assistant and Law Clerk for the assigned judge, copying all parties, to avoid unnecessary inconvenience. If the matter is civil, please also include Stephanie Stutz at stephanie.stutz@rva.gov and Shelton Johnson at shelton.johnson@rva.gov.10

If the parties have resolved their matter or wish to remove the trial or hearing date(s) from the docket, they should file the appropriate pleadings to either dispose of the case or remove the matter from the docket immediately and email a courtesy copy to the Judicial Assistant and Law Clerk for the assigned judge, copying all parties, to avoid unnecessary inconvenience. If the matter is civil, please also include Stephanie Stutz at stephanie.stutz@rva.gov and Shelton Johnson at shelton.johnson@rva.gov.10