Judge
Hennepin County
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Contact with Chambers
• Preferred method to contact chambers: Email is preferred
• To whom may attorneys direct scheduling/logistical questions? Law clerks
• To whom may attorneys direct substantive questions? Ex parte communications on substantive issues is not permitted. If information, is needed outside of a motion for relief, a conference with opposing counsel and a joint communication correspondence.
Motion Practice
• Set forth your practices and procedures for scheduling motion hearings. Contact clerk at earliest point to secure a hearing date (often 60 days out). Date must be immediately served on all parties. additional motions need approval and require parties to confer on consolidated briefing.
• Identify any type of motion for which you do not require a hearing. Informal discovery conferences or scheduling conferences. Informal discovery conferences or scheduling conferences.
• Do you accept telephone calls from attorneys to rule on discovery disputes that occur during depositions? If the court is available. If the court is in a proceeding, telephone calls will not be accepted.
• How much time do you allot for motion hearings? 30 minutes total unless a longer time is sought, available on the court's schedule and permitted.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attending a hearing by telephone or video conference. Most hearings before the final pretrial and trial are remote.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to discovery motions. Parties must meet and confer, if not resolved, must have an informal conference with the court prior to requesting formal motion.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to stipulations of the parties, including stipulations for protective orders. Stipulations can be presented to the court. A separate proposed order is required.
• Do you have any particular requests or procedures relating to requests to amend the scheduling order? The parties can propose a stipulation to amend for review by the court. Correspondence as to reasons can help the court's review.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to default proceedings. Default proceedings require a hearing. Be prepared to identify basis for all forms of relief sought. Claims for unliquidated damages may require an evidentiary hearing.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling emergency motions. Unless an ex parte motion is granted, the Complaint and motion must be immediately served on all parties. The Court will want a telephone conference to discuss scheduling of a hearing that will allow participation by all parties.
• 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. If parties seek an in-person hearing for a presumptive remote hearing, a request for in person hearing and reasons must be filed with the Court.
• 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. If motion submissions exceed 100 pages, submit one courtesy copy.
• 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). A request for a zoom conference and submission of a short description of issues. If issue is not resolved informally, the court may direct a formal hearing with more complete briefing is needed.
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. Permission should be sought for submission of additional materials or authority. If allowed, the Court will generally allow the other party 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. As described in pretrial order.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format. Contact clerks to inquire.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom and during trial. If used in trial, the parties should try to coordinate use of the same equipment if possible.
• Do you permit parties to bifurcate oral argument so different attorneys address different legal issues? On distinct issues, and within the party's share of overall allotted time.
In-Person Trials
• Are you willing to provide a date certain for trial? At or after pretrial and earlier in limited cases.
• Set forth your practices and procedures for handling motions in limine. Motions that seek interpretation of contracts and statutes in relation to the admissibility of a category of evidence usually are issues that are for dispositive motions, not motions in limine. Other motions in limine at pretrial hearing.
• What is your schedule for a typical trial day? Expect there may be motion hearings at 8:30 and 1:00. Trial from approxmiately 9 am until 4:30 or shortly thereafter.
• Set forth your voir dire procedures. The Court will have initial questions. Counsel are allowed to ask questions that directly and clearly relate to the purpose of voir dire. Not permitted are questions to educate the jury, hypotheticals, instructions on the law, personal statements or that seek speculation from jurors on issues or evidence.
• 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. Attorneys may stay at counsel table or use the podium. Standing or sitting at counsel table is permitted. The microphones of usually the method for capturing the record, moving around the courtroom while talking is not allowed. Witnesses and other participants must be referred to by attorneys by their formal names and not by 1st names.
• Do you impose time limits with respect to opening statements and closing arguments? Not generally. The Court will ask for estimated lengths to allow appropriate planning for the jury.
• Identify what technology you use in the courtroom and state whether you prefer a particular electronic format.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney’s use of technology in the courtroom.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to marking and using exhibits. See Trial Order.
• For exhibits uploaded to the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System (MNDES), set forth your preferences regarding naming conventions for files uploaded to the system. As of writing not yet applicable in 4th District civil.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to handling objections. Objections should be timely asserted and generally reference the basis. Speaking objections are not allowed. If further information is needed, an attorney can request to approach.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to the use of deposition testimony. Strong preference for use of live witness testimony over discovery depositions as to parties. Discovery depositions may be used to impeach testimony at trial. Trial depositions may be used for witnesses who are not available in person upon agreement of the parties, or as allowed by the Court.
• May attorneys obtain daily transcripts during trial? If so, what procedure should attorneys follow? See Trial Order.
• Set forth your practices and procedures with respect to attorney requests to contact jurors at the conclusion of trial. If contact information is sought a motion is required.
• 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.