Guidelines For Remote Hearings

WEATHER/EMERGENCY CLOSURES OR DELAYS

If any Kaufman ISD, Terrell ISD, Kemp ISD, Forney ISD, or Crandall ISD has a delayed start or closes, the County Court at Law will follow the same schedule.

PROOF OF NOTICE

If you want to go forward on a motion/hearing without the other side present, you must tender proof of notice to the court either by filing your proof of notice or by offering it as an exhibit for the court reporter.

SETTINGS

Settings are available at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for Criminal Cases. Settings are available for Civil/Family/CPS at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Please contact Tamara Davis for Civil/Family/CPS settings: tamara.davis@kaufmancounty.net

Please contact Ana Ocura for Criminal settings: ana.ocura@kaufmancounty.net

Hearing – To set a hearing, please email either the Civil/Family/CPS or Criminal Coordinator. You will be provided with the Court’s available dates and should work with the other side to get an agreed date. Please e-file a notice of hearing with the date filled in. The coordinator does not add the case to the Court’s calendar until a completed notice of hearing is submitted. If, after several attempts, you are unable to get an agreed date, please e-file a notice of hearing with a letter describing your efforts.

Trial – To set a trial, please email either the Civil/Family/CPS or Criminal Coordinator. You will be provided with the Court’s available dates and should work with the other side to get an agreed date. Please e-file a Scheduling Order with the trial date and mediation details filled in. If, after several attempts, you are unable to get an agreed date, please e-file a proposed scheduling order with a letter describing your efforts.

Trials without a scheduling order on file are limited to 1 HOUR per side. Cases that have not mediated prior to trial will be limited to 30 minutes per side.

Jury Trials – A formal pre-trial hearing is required, no later than the Thursday before the jury trial begins. A Scheduling Order must be completed and signed when the trial is set. The scheduling order must specify the many tasks that must be completed at or before the pre-trial hearing, including expert challenges, proposed jury charges, pre-marked exhibits, witness lists, etc. Mediation is required on all cases.

DOCKET – CHECKING IN AND CALLING CASES

Check in with the bailiff before the time of your hearing. If you plan to leave our courtroom, give the bailiff your cell phone number.

Let the bailiff know if you have an expert of professional witness, such as a first responder, teacher, doctor, counselor, or caseworker. The court will allow these witnesses to be called out of order to respect their other duties and reduce cost to the litigants.

The court will call through the docket each day and decide the order in which cases will be heard – the court does not put cases in order in advance.

MEDIATION

Mediation is required before trial. Scheduling orders without mediator name(s) will be rejected. If mediation has not been attempted, you are limited to 30 minutes per side at trial.

EX PARTE RELIEF – TROs, etc.

Attorneys may walk through requests for ex parte relief in person.

You are also welcome to submit your request for ex parte relief electronically without coming to the courthouse in person. If you file a motion requesting ex parte relief and submit your proposed order through e-filing, please call or e-mail the court coordinator to let her know that you want action taken on the request. If you do not call or email the coordinator to alert her that you want the request addressed, it will just remain in the e-filing queue without action.

Please do not request TROs that contain items that are in the standing orders. The Court will reject TROs that largely overlap the standing orders. Please put the few items of genuine concern in the TRO so that the court can tell what relief you are actually requesting.

CONTINUANCES

Criminal Cases – All motions for continuance will require a hearing.

Civil/Family Cases – The Court will consider one motion for continuance without the necessity of a hearing. All further motions for continuance will require a hearing, even if agreed. Any continuance for a case that was filed more than 18 months ago will require a hearing and court approval.

Appearing by Phone or Video

The Court prefers that no hearings be conducted by phone except under special circumstances. The Court is unable to accommodate Zoom or video appearances during in-person dockets. If a hearing is in person, all parties, attorney’s, witnesses will need to appear in person. Availability for Zoom hearings is limited, please contact the appropriate Coordinator to schedule your Zoom hearing.

If an attorney or witness will be appearing by video or phone, you must contact the appropriate court coordinator to set up the appearance.

You must provide 7 days prior written notice to the court and all parties of who intends to appear via video or phone so that there is an opportunity to object.

Attorneys will be provided a dropbox link from the court coordinator to e-mail any pre-marked exhibits for any contested evidentiary hearings.

COURTROOM CELL PHONE POLICY

Attorneys are welcome to silently use phones, tablets, laptops, etc. in the courtroom. If the device becomes disruptive, you will not be allowed to continue to use the device.

No one will be allowed to take any photos or video recordings in the courtroom.

DEFAULT JUDGMENTS

Before you can schedule a hearing to finalize a default judgment, you must complete the Default Judgment Checklist and file it with the court. Once it has been completed and filed, email the court coordinator at tamara.davis@kaufmancounty.net to schedule your default. This will help ensure you do not have to come back to court multiple times in order to finalize your default.