CIVIL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF ORLEANS
STATE OF LOUISIANA
DIVISION “I”-SECTION 14
TRIAL ORDER
Counsel certifies that all potential parties have been served and answered and that there are no
other cases to be consolidated. Once a trial date is selected, no supplemental and amending
pleadings or incidental demands will be allowed.
The deadlines set forth in this order may only be extended by agreement of all counsel and by
filing a motion to extend the cut-off date, or by contradictory motion. Parties agree that defendant
has not been served and opt to select trial date.
WITNESSES
Plaintiff shall file his witness list on or before 12 weeks prior to trial date.
Defendant shall file his witness list on or before 10 weeks prior to trial date.
Each party shall file a copy of his witness list with the Court and shall mail a copy to his
opponent on or before this date. Witness lists shall include the names of all witnesses,
including expert and impeachment witnesses. No expert may be listed as a witness
unless he has previously been interviewed and retained. Extension of the deadline for
expert and impeachment witnesses may be requested in writing at least one week
prior to the respective deadline.
Expert reports: See LA. CCP Article 1425 (C)
In absence of an order from the Court or stipulations of the parties, the expert
reports shall be made at least ninety (90) days prior to the trial date, or, if the
report is intended solely to rebut evidence of another party’s expert, within thirty
(30) days after the other party’s expert report is submitted.
All subpoenas shall be ordered with proper instructions and addresses on or before
30 days prior to trial date. Any witness not properly subpoenaed may testify if the
witness voluntarily appears; however, the Court will not compel the attendance nor
grant any relief for non-attendance. Any properly subpoenaed witnesses who
cannot appear at trial are to be deposed and the transcript of that deposition shall be
filed in the record prior to the date of trial.
RULES TO SHOW CAUSE
All motions and exceptions shall be filed on or before 7 weeks prior to trial date.
Motions in Limine: Must be filed at least 72 hours before trial, inclusive of weekends and
holidays.
Daubert Hearings: Motions for hearings to determine expert witness qualifications shall
be filed not later than 8 weeks prior to trial date; the motion shall be ruled on not later than 4
weeks prior to trial date.
Summary judgments MUST be filed at least 65 days before trial so that they can be
disposed of at least 20 days prior to the trial as required by law.
1. Hearings must be SET at least 30 days prior to trial,
2. Opposition memos must be filed at least 15 days prior to hearing, and
3. Reply memos must be filed at least 5 days prior to hearing.
CONFERENCE
All counsel shall confer personally not more than 10 days nor less than 48 hours prior to trial in
order to confect stipulations, discuss settlement and to mark and exchange all exhibits. A list of
these exhibits shall be filed with the Court. If there is disagreement as to the use of any exhibit,
the exhibit should be marked and each counsel shall file a memorandum setting forth his or her
position.
It shall be the duty of plaintiff’s counsel to initiate the conference, however, all counsel have a duty
to participate. Failure to confer may result in the exclusion of exhibits, refusal of the court to try
the case or other sanctions. The failure of either counsel to cooperate should be reported to the
court.
DISCOVERY
All discovery is to be completed on or before 8 weeks prior to trial date.
Depositions must be set prior to the cut-off date with reasonable notice to all concerned.
Interrogatories must be received at least 15 days prior to the cut-off date. Written notice of
medical examinations and updates must be received by opposing counsel at least 10 days prior to
the discovery cut-off. Medical evidence obtained after the discovery cut-off will be inadmissible.
Quantum
Non-Jury Trials
All parties are required to submit a Quantum Study, proposed judgments and
proposed findings of fact 48 hours in advance of the trial date. If the trial is set for
Monday, the report is due on the preceding Friday.
Plaintiffs shall submit a list of special damages one week prior to trial.
TRIAL This case is set for trial based on the assertions made by counsel. The trial will be conducted based
on the information produced from the listing of witnesses, from discovery, from the status of the
case at the conclusion of discovery and from the exhibits and physical evidence exchanged and
marked at the conference prior to trial.
This is a bench/jury trial. If a jury order is signed after the issuance of the trial date, counsel shall
notify the court for further instructions pertaining to jury trials.
The trial of this matter will last ___ days. If the case cannot reasonably be completed in this time,
the court may discontinue the trial or may refuse to try the case. This case is fixed for trial on the
merits on the day of at 9:00 AM. A pre-trial conference will be conducted on the morning of
trial. Attorneys are to sign in on the docket in the courtroom upon arrival. Any matter which may
cause delay of the trial shall immediately be called to the attention of the Court.
Any objections to this trial order shall be made within 7 days of receipt of this order. Receipt shall
be deemed achieved 2 days after mailing.
If the trial is continued, all cut-off dates remain the same, unless new dates are requested.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this day of , 201.
` ___________________________________
Sharon Carter Sheridan
By order of Judge Piper D. Griffin
CIVIL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF ORLEANS
STATE OF LOUISIANA
DIVISION “I
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR JURY TRIALS
DEPOSITIONS
Each expert witness to be used in this case shall be deposed so that the deposition may be used in the
event that the witness is unable to appear, or in accordance with LSA C.C.P. art. 1450. For
depositions to be offered into evidence, the parties shall meet prior to trial and agree to the
elimination of all irrelevant and repetitive matters and all colloquy between counsel. In addition, the
parties shall, in good faith, attempt to resolve all objections to testimony so that the court will be
required to rule only on those objections to which counsel cannot agree.
As to all objections which cannot be amicably resolved, the parties shall deliver to the court, not less
than two working days prior to trial, a statement identifying the portions objected to and the grounds
therefor. Proponents and opponents shall furnish the court with appropriate statements of
authorities in support of their positions.
JURY INSTRUCTIONS
The parties shall submit joint jury instructions and joint jury interrogatories to the court
seven calendar days prior to trial (e-mail, CD or jump drive). To accomplish this, the parties
shall serve their proposed instructions and interrogatories upon each other two weeks prior to trial.
The parties shall then meet, confer, and submit to the court joint jury charges and interrogatories.
As to instructions and interrogatories to which the parties cannot agree, each party shall submit a
supplemental set of his or her proposed charges and interrogatories.
Written objections to an opponent’s proposed charges and interrogatories shall include citation to
authority and shall be submitted to the court not less than two working days prior to trial. Where
applicable, the objecting party shall submit an alternative instruction or interrogatory related to the
particular subject or principle of law.
On the day of trial, each party may submit a concise written argument in support of his or her
proposed instructions and interrogatories to which an opponent objected.
GENERAL
All objections and instructions shall be delivered directly to the judge’s chambers through her law
clerk.
Counsel shall be prepared to read to the jury a list of witnesses that may be called to testify. Any
witness whose name is not read to the jury shall be prohibited from testifying.
Failure to strictly comply with the instructions contained in this order may result in sanctions, which
may include the striking of depositions, instructions or the jury order.
CIVIL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF ORLEANS
STATE OF LOUISIANA
DIVISION “I”-SECTION 14
JURY DEPOSIT ORDER PURSUANT TO LA. C.C.P. art. 1734.1
Demand for trial by jury having been made herein,
IT IS ORDERED that the party requesting a jury trial shall make a cash deposit with the
Clerk of Court in the amount of $2,000.00 for the first day of trial and $400.00 for each additional
day the trial is expected to last. This sum shall be deposited no later than thirty (30) days prior to
trial*. Trial is set for the day of , 201 .
In the event the case is resolved without the necessity of proceeding to trial by jury, the party
depositing the funds shall receive a refund of this deposit as follows:
All funds less $1500 shall be refunded, only if the Court is notified, in writing, 30
(thirty) days in advance of the trial, indicating that the case is resolved or will
proceed to a trial by judge;
If the case settles within the dates the trial was scheduled to proceed, the Court
shall cast the party requesting the jury an additional $320 in jury costs.
If the case proceeds to trial by jury, the remaining funds on deposit shall be used to
pay all jury costs. The court may require an additional deposit for costs as
needed.
The above deposit schedule only applies to the calling of a standard venire. In the
event that the case requires more potential jurors because of the length of the case
or other factors, the court may require additional costs to be posted.
This Order supersedes any prior Jury Order issued in the matter. The Court certifies that a
copy of this Order has been served upon all counsel of record and/or parties by hand delivery or by
mail.
New Orleans, Louisiana, this day of , 2017.
_____________________________
Judge Piper D. Griffin
*EXCEPTION: STATE OF LOUISIANA IS NOT REQUIRED TO PAY DEPOSIT
PRIOR TO TRIAL
Adopted: May 6, 2014
Effective: June 1, 2014
