Judge
Waseca County
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Contact with Chambers
• Preferred method to contact chambers: Email
• To whom may attorneys direct scheduling/logistical questions? Court admin
• To whom may attorneys direct substantive questions? Law clerk
Motion Practice
• Set forth your practices and procedures for scheduling motion hearings. Parties contact court admin to get motion hearing date.
• Identify any type of motion for which you do not require a hearing. Ex parte motions for appointment of emergency guardian/conservator; some ex parte motion on family law matters but hearing would be set after court's consideration of ex parte motion.
• Do you accept telephone calls from attorneys to rule on discovery disputes that occur during depositions? No.
• How much time do you allot for motion hearings? Depends on type of motion; court admin generally asks the parties how much time they need for a motion hearing.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attending a hearing by telephone or video conference. Generally most civil hearings are now held remotely with exception of pretrial and trial.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to discovery motions. Parties get motion hearing date from court admin; hearing held via Zoom.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to stipulations of the parties, including stipulations for protective orders. I review them without a hearing.
• Do you have any particular requests or procedures relating to requests to amend the scheduling order? If parties stipulate to an amendment, then they provide a proposed order to amend.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to default proceedings. Parties get default hearing from court admin.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling emergency motions. Hearings are coordinated through court admin.
• 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. Remote hearings are via Zoom
• 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. No paper; all filings are electronic.
• 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). Submit request for consideration in writing with copy to other parties.
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. I give counsel/parties deadline to submit post-hearing submissions.
• 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. Pretrials are generally in person and all parties with authority to settle the case must attend; pretrials generally a month or so before trial; I meet with counsel in chambers if requested.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format. Counsel tables have computer connections for counsel to display exhibits/videos on the large screens in the courtroom; counsel are responsible for ensuring their connections work properly.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom and during trial. Technology is commonly used during trial and computer connections to the large screens are available at counsel tables.
• Do you permit parties to bifurcate oral argument so different attorneys address different legal issues? Yes, if requested ahead of time.
In-Person Trials
• Are you willing to provide a date certain for trial? Yes, if requested.
• Set forth your practices and procedures for handling motions in limine. Motions in limine are handled at the pretrial hearing.
• What is your schedule for a typical trial day? 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Set forth your voir dire procedures. Each party is given ample time for voir dire and I do not limit them on time; generally objections are made if voir dire questions are not relevant/appropriate and I rule from the bench.
• 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. Podiums are available for counsel during voir dire, opening statements and closing statements; direct and cross examination of witnesses is done from counsel tables.
• Do you impose time limits with respect to opening statements and closing arguments? No.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format. See prior comments.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom. Attorneys are free to use whatever technology they want for trial but they are responsible for making it works ahead of time.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to marking and using exhibits. We use MNDES for electronic exhibits; our district is working making MNDES exhibits available to the jury for deliberations with a blocked tablet to access the exhibits. paper/tangible exhibits are still allowed.
• For exhibits uploaded to the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System (MNDES), set forth your preferences regarding naming conventions for files uploaded to the system. Counsel should properly identify the exhibits by name in MNDES when they upload them.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling objections. Counsel make objections from counsel table and state the basis for the objection; I generally rule from the bench.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to the use of deposition testimony. Deposition testimony must have a paper transcript.
• May attorneys obtain daily transcripts during trial? If so, what procedure should attorneys follow? Not generally because I have a steno reporter and she is not expected to go home after a long day in trial to work on a transcript.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney requests to contact jurors at the conclusion of trial. I have not had this request yet.
• Set forth any other preferences, practices, or procedures attorneys and parties may find helpful.
• If your practice differs for trials by remote means, please describe the differences.