Local Rules Make or Break the Case

Amber Wheat

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Rule Number One: Read the local rules.
Every county is different and you can take nothing for granted. They could also change with every year. You can find the local rules for counties on most of their websites. Check out www.courtinfo.ca.gov to find them. They are really important. If it's something simple like I didn't bring enough copies that can be fixed with a copy machine and a few bucks. Sometimes, though, the fix isn't so simple. In Sacramento County, if you don't put an explanation of the tentative ruling system on your motion pursuant to Local Rule 3.04(D), your motion can be denied if you don't call all the opposing parties and the court before 4:00. If you have twenty parties that could be an issue as the tentative ruling isn't even posted until after 2:00. If your brief is too long some judges won't even take it into consideration. You can lose a lot of ground if you don't follow the rules. What are some of the stranger rules you have come across?