Eastern District of Texas Local Rules and Judge Filing Requirements

Authentication objections must be made in writing within 3 business days after exhibit is made available; failure to object concedes authenticity.

Each relied-upon patent must be identified by number, country of origin, and issue date.

Demonstrative materials must be included in the exhibit list.

Joint pretrial order must include motions in limine, deposition designations, and proposed charge or findings; proposed trial exhibits must be exchanged by the same date.

Review Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rules before case management conference.

Parties must use different highlighter colors: yellow and blue recommended for parties, green for overlapping designations.

Use hand sanitizer upon entering courthouse

Jurors and witnesses must dress appropriately for the courtroom with specific clothing restrictions.

Maintain appropriate distancing and follow staff instructions in the Courthouse.

Briefs must have individually numbered pages.

Questions about e-filing procedures, requirements, or attorney registration should be directed to the District Clerk's Office.

Attorneys unable to enter courthouse should contact judge's Chambers by phone, then email if needed.

Contact Deputy Clerk's office at (409) 654-7000 for other courthouse matters

Attorneys must contact judge's chambers by phone, then email if needed, before court appearances.

Prohibits sending access requests to jurors' social media accounts

For non-jury trials, file specified documents electronically on CM/ECF and deliver two courtesy copies to chambers.

Two color courtesy copies of the joint pretrial order and attachments, bound in looseleaf three-ring notebooks with dividers, must be delivered to chambers on the day of filing.

Parties are exempt from Local Rule CV-5(a)(9) courtesy copy requirement for filings over 10 pages.

Courtesy copies must contain only relevant pages and be placed in notebook binders.

Parties are exempt from providing paper courtesy copies for documents over 10 pages unless specifically requested by the judge.

Transcript redactions must follow Local Rule CV-5.2 timing requirements.

Courts must consider redaction as less drastic alternative to sealing entire documents

Sealing requests must be made before public disclosure of confidential or proprietary information.

When a document is sought to be sealed only partially, the party must specify the extent of the sealing.

Sealing requests must be made before public disclosure of the information at a hearing or trial.

Deposition designations for non-live witnesses are due 4 weeks before docket call.

Discovery motions and responses are limited to 7 pages of briefing and 5 pages of attachments.

Discovery motions and responses limited to 7 pages; attachments limited to 5 pages; no further briefing without court order.

Opening/response briefs limited to 15 pages; reply briefs limited to 5 pages.

Judge Crone's courtroom limits spectators to 12, requires 6-foot distancing, and prohibits those under 18.

Response to motion for leave must be filed at least one week before Motions to Strike are due.

Objections to exhibits must be filed by the date in the scheduling order; otherwise exhibits are admitted.

A final revised exhibit list must be submitted to the court administrator prior to the final pretrial conference.

Joint report must be filed 14 days after the Rule 26(f) conference deadline.

If request granted, parties must provide technical advisor information no later than 100 days before Markman hearing.

Counsel must confer on deposition objections

Pre-filing conference required under Local Rule CV-7(h)/(i); additional lead attorney conference within 72 hours of hearing setting; lead attorney must attend hearing unless excused.

Parties must comply with Local Rule CV-7(h) and (i) conference requirements before filing any discovery motion.

Pretrial motions in criminal cases are referred to magistrate judges, except for specific motions.

Motions to compel discovery require good faith conference first.

Extensions for answering complaints or filing Rule 12(b) motions must be requested by motion.

No additional extensions of time to answer will be granted after the 45-day deadline without a showing of good cause.

Rule 16 management conference set for 50 days after order, no continuances without good cause.

No further extensions beyond the 45-day total deadline unless good cause is shown.

Persons who tested positive for COVID-19 within 5 days are prohibited from entering the Courthouse.

Proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law must be filed electronically on CM/ECF.

For jury trials, the agreed charge must be filed electronically on CM/ECF.

Parties may file consent form by mail or electronically using the event 'Notice Regarding Consent to Proceed Before Magistrate Judge'.

Parties must electronically file the joint report of the Rule 26(f) conference.

Letter briefs must be filed electronically as an exhibit to a Notice of Compliance referencing the directing order.

Court draws no inference from party's decision not to have newer attorney argue.

Attorneys with less than 7 years experience who argue motions receive preferential treatment including increased likelihood of oral argument, additional time, and permission for multiple attorneys to argue.

A party challenging patent eligibility must serve its Eligibility Contentions on all parties within 45 days after receiving the specified infringement disclosures.

Early Rule 34 requests are not considered served until the Rule 26(f) conference occurs.

Counsel must assemble trial exhibits and make them available to opposing counsel on or before the date the joint pretrial order is due.

Court encourages consolidating courtesy copies into a single binder; additional binders permitted but not required.

Paper copies of electronically filed documents should not be provided unless specifically requested by the court.

Mock jury studies discouraged in the same division where case is pending.

Pretrial motions in criminal cases are referred to magistrate judges, except for specific motions.