Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County Filing Rules

When Rule 615 is invoked, counsel and parties should prevent witnesses from entering or joining while another witness testifies.

The parties must submit a Joint Case Management Report at least two working days before each Case Management Conference, covering the listed topics.

The Joint Pretrial Statement should identify agreed and disputed issues and cite helpful rules, statutes, or cases.

Any document copy submitted to the division by fax, mail, or hand delivery must be file-stamped; the judge can act only on documents filed with the clerk.

Distinguish an oral-argument request from an evidentiary-hearing request in the caption.

Division staff will email conference-line information to attorneys in advance.

If a participant has technical difficulties appearing by video, the participant may appear by phone using the listed number and conference ID.

Do not contact the judge directly, even when other counsel are copied on the email.

Consult the trial setting minute entry for exhibit-marking instructions and email the clerk before trial to obtain the official exhibit list.

The Division’s Judicial Assistant can be reached at the listed email address, and the division can be reached at the listed phone number.

The Court will not schedule, reschedule, or vacate a hearing without a filed motion.

The Court may permit full briefing under Rule 26(d)(1), but parties may not undertake full briefing without advance permission.

Discovery and disclosure disputes that could be addressed under Rules 26(c) or 37(a) must first follow Rule 26(d)’s expedited procedure.

Before submitting exhibits, parties should meet with opposing counsel or the opposing party and try to coordinate their submissions.

Before submitting a discovery dispute, parties are expected to confer in good faith through an actual conversation, not merely exchange voicemails or emails.

Case Management Conferences will be scheduled every 45 to 60 days.

Deposition transcript designations and objections are due on the Joint Pretrial Statement deadline.

A party requesting a court reporter where one is not otherwise mandated must submit a written request 10 judicial days before the hearing and pay $140 for a half-day or $280 for a full day at least two judicial days before the proceeding.

A written request for a court reporter must reach the Court at least three court days before the proceeding begins.

A judicial officer will not sign a separate Entry of Default, and default becomes effective ten days after the application is properly submitted.

Court Security will exclude symptomatic individuals at security.

Recordings or information may not be played or shown from a cell phone.

Final jury instructions must be fully written out in Word format; a list of RAJI numbers will not be accepted.

Exhibits should be presented on screen, but parties may use their own device, TrialPad, Trial Director, PDFs, or hard copies with the Elmo, provided electronic displays match the Case Center-marked document; parties must bring their own hard copies.

The Court permits hybrid hearings with some participants in person and others participating virtually.

Default and garnishment documents must be e-filed, while packets containing proof of filing must be submitted to the civil commissioners’ divisions.

A single Turbo Court PDF may be up to 9.5 MB; the Court encourages cited excerpts and condensed transcripts and says not to include word indexes or unnecessary documents or pages.

When hand-filing a pleading, provide the Court a conformed copy; a motion’s copy may be placed in the Division mailbox or emailed to the Division.

Lodge other proposed orders 72 hours before the hearing and email them in MS Word format if possible; PDF orders are also accepted.

Proposed orders must be lodged in eFile as separate Word-format documents related to the filing they accompany.

A continuance request must identify who requested the continuance and state whether the opposing party opposed, stipulated to, or took no position on it; if the continuance is on the court's own motion, the request must state whether any party opposed, agreed to, or took no position on it.

For a first continuance in EDC Court, file a motion stating the opposing side’s position; the continuance is granted if the plea, discovery, and waiver of time are in place.

Motions to continue or extend time must state the other party’s position or efforts to obtain it; otherwise, they may be lodged for response or denied without prejudice if response time is insufficient.

If additional trial time is granted, the trial may be continued to a later date.

To seek expedited consideration of a motion to continue, contact the opposing party before filing and state that party’s position in the motion; the Court will not grant it without knowing the opposing party’s position.

The Court does not use bench copies of exhibits.

A separate bench copy of exhibits is not required.

After filing a Motion for Temporary Orders Without Notice, provide the Division a hard copy or email copy; if emailing, also call to alert the Division.

If documents are filed within 24 hours of a hearing, email the judicial assistant a copy.

Do not provide exhibit materials to the Court as hard copies, on a thumb drive, or by email.

File each motion separately and designate it as a motion.

File separate motions for separate motions or forms of relief rather than combining them in one filing.

Motions, responses, replies, and other filings must be submitted individually; combined filings will not be accepted.

Jury exhibit notebooks are encouraged; counsel should discuss their contents and try to agree, with disagreements addressed at the pretrial management conference.

Motions, responses, replies, and other filings must be submitted separately; combined filings will not be accepted.

The joint dispute statement is limited to three pages, must include a certificate of good-faith consultation, and may not include exhibits.

Page limits may be exceeded only with leave of court.

Motions in limine and responses are each limited to four pages; replies are not permitted.

Motions in limine and responses are each limited to four pages, and replies are not permitted.

Absent leave for good cause, each party may file at most five Motions in Limine, limited to four pages each, with responses also limited to four pages and no replies; routine evidentiary matters and requests to enforce evidence rules should not be raised this way.

Copies of an extension or continuance motion must be provided to the other parties.

For virtual trials, provide exhibits to the court and opposing parties so everyone can access the exhibits to be used.

The movant should provide the Court an original and the other party copies before the case is called; copies may be made in Suite 2B.

When filing anything with the Court, send a copy to the opposing side or its attorney and indicate on the pleading that you did so.

A party intending to use exhibits in opening statement must show them to opposing counsel at least 24 hours beforehand.

The request to file documents under seal must be lodged in paper form under Rule 5.4(e)(2).

To seek sealing under Rule 5.4, e-file a sealing motion, submit a proposed sealing order in Word format, lodge the document with the Clerk, and simultaneously email its electronic copy to Division staff; the order must identify the document and include required findings.

The judge avoids sealing entire files and typically files documents concerning sensitive matters as confidential, allowing case participants and court staff access while shielding them from public disclosure.

Sealed filings are discouraged and require a significant reason to shield records from public view.

Sealed filings are discouraged, and the Court will seal a file only as a last resort.

The court reporter deposit, usually the cost of the first day, must be paid no later than two judicial days before the hearing.

The court reporter fee is $140 for a half-day hearing and $280 for each full day, payable to the clerk at least two judicial days before the proceeding.