District Court Judge
Dakota County
View state court bio
Contact with Chambers
• To whom may attorneys direct scheduling/logistical questions? Law clerk
• To whom may attorneys direct substantive questions? Law clerk
Motion Practice
• Set forth your practices and procedures for scheduling motion hearings. Contact law clerk by email to request hearing after party has contacted opposing party to discuss availability and disclosed the issues. Then provide available dates to law clerk.
• Identify any type of motion for which you do not require a hearing. Any hearings when the parties agree to rely upon their submissions.
• Do you accept telephone calls from attorneys to rule on discovery disputes that occur during depositions? Yes.
• How much time do you allot for motion hearings? Depends on how much time they need. Usually 30 minutes.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attending a hearing by telephone or video conference. Court will accommodate any requests to appear remotely on motion hearings.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to discovery motions. No discovery motions unless and until parties have talked and identified the precise documents to be produced and discussed any objections.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to stipulations of the parties, including stipulations for protective orders. Submit stipulations in writing to the court without a hearing.
• Do you have any particular requests or procedures relating to requests to amend the scheduling order? Reach agreement with opposing party on any amendments. If not agreed upon, then submit proposed amendments and request a remote hearing with proposed dates that may work for all parties.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to default proceedings. Love default proceedings. Schedule hearing. Submit proposed order in advance.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling emergency motions. Contact law clerk. Must contact opposing party to notify them and give opportunity to appear at hearing. Ex Parte requests are strongly discouraged.
• If your preferences for motion hearings by remote means differ from any of your earlier answers, please describe your preferences for remote video conference hearings.
• Do you want to receive paper courtesy copies of the parties' written submissions? If you do, set forth the number of courtesy copies and identify any document type you do not want to receive. Courtesy copies are not necessary unless the pleadings are filed within a couple days of the hearing, then provide to the law clerk, otherwise, court doesn't have access to the pleadings.
• Set forth your preferences for handling informal requests for relief using the expedited, informal non-dispositive motion process set forth in Minn. Gen. R. practice 115.04(d). Contact law clerk to seek hearing date after consultation with opposing party.
Pre-Trial Procedures
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to the submissions of additional legal authority or other materials at or after oral arguments. Ask permission to submit any additional materials, upon which opposing counsel will have an opportunity to respond.
• Describe your preferred procedures for pretrial settlement conferences, including the timing of such conferences, persons who must attend, whether persons may attend by telephone or video conference, and how you participate in settlement discussions. Court encourages settlement conferences. All parties must attend and/or be available by phone. Court will participate to whatever extent it is determined to be helpful.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format. No preference as to electronic format. However counsel wishes to present their case.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom and during trial. Counsel may make use of technology with advance notice to the court and opposing party.
• Do you permit parties to bifurcate oral argument so different attorneys address different legal issues? Prefer not to, but may be allowed in specific instances upon request and notice.
In-Person Trials
• Are you willing to provide a date certain for trial?
• Set forth your practices and procedures for handling motions in limine. Motions in limine should be scheduled to be heard at least 2 weeks prior to trial. If not complex and relatively standard, may be heard on day of trial.
• What is your schedule for a typical trial day? Meet with attorneys every day at 8:30 am, begin trial proceedings by 9:00, 15 minute break at 10:30 and 3:00. 1 hour lunch break at noon. conclude each day at 4:30. Court encourages full use of each day.
• Set forth your voir dire procedures. Court has standard initial questions, then attorneys.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to courtroom decorum, including movement in the courtroom, use of a podium, whether attorneys should sit or stand, and how to address witnesses. All witnesses addressed with their last names. Use of podium allowed with advance notice and placement to ensure observation by all parties. May approach witness stand upon request.
• Do you impose time limits with respect to opening statements and closing arguments? Court will impose limits if exceeding reasonable length of presentation. On a case by case basis. Have never needed to impose limits.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format. No preference.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom. Court encourages use of technology.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to marking and using exhibits. [Did not answer]
• For exhibits uploaded to the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System (MNDES), set forth your preferences regarding naming conventions for files uploaded to the system. [Did not answer]
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling objections. [Did not answer]
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to the use of deposition testimony. [Did not answer]
• May attorneys obtain daily transcripts during trial? If so, what procedure should attorneys follow? [Did not answer]
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney requests to contact jurors at the conclusion of trial. [Did not answer]
• Set forth any other preferences, practices, or procedures attorneys and parties may find helpful. [Did not answer]
• If your practice differs for trials by remote means, please describe the differences. [Did not answer]