Eastern District of Texas Document Format Requirements

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Cases before United States Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson - All spectators who do not reside in the same household must sit six (6) feet apart, and all spectators must wear a face mask at all times.

Summary: Judge Stetson requires 6-foot distancing between non-household spectators and masks at all times.

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Required

Always ?

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Each person must maintain appropriate distancing from others in the Courthouse, to include sittin at the location assigned by a member of the court staff. Each person must follow the instructions of the court staff and court security officers ( CSOs ) to aid in maintaining distance in the Courthouse;

Summary: All persons must maintain appropriate distancing and follow staff instructions in the Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

Each person must use the hand sanitizer furnished at the front door upon entering the Courthouse;

Summary: Use hand sanitizer upon entering courthouse

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Required

Always ?

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Each person must maintain appropriate distancing from others in the Courthouse, to include sitting at the location assigned by a member of the court staff. Each person must follow the instructions of the court staff and court security officers ( CSOs ) to aid in maintaining distance in the Courthouse;

Summary: Maintain social distancing and follow staff instructions in courthouse

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Required

Always ?

Any person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the prior five (5) days is prohibited from entering the Courthouse during the CDC recommended quarantine and isolation period.

Summary: COVID-positive individuals prohibited from courthouse for 5 days

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Required

Always ?

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Courtroom No. 3 - Limit of twelve (12) spectators, sitting six (6) feet apart. No persons under 18 years of age will be permitted in the courtroom;

Summary: Courtroom 3: max 12 spectators, 6ft apart, no under 18

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Required

Always ?

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Courtroom No. 4 - All spectators who do not reside in the same household must sit six (6) feet apart, and all spectators must wear a face mask at all times;

Summary: Courtroom 4: 6ft apart for non-household, masks required

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Required

Always ?

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Each person must maintain appropriate distancing from others in the Courthouse, to include sitting at the location assigned by a member of the court staff. Each person must follow the instructions of the court staff and court security officers (CSOs) to aid in maintaining distance in the Courthouse;

Summary: Maintain appropriate distancing and follow staff instructions in the Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

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Each person must use the hand sanitizer furnished at the front door upon entering the Courthouse;

Summary: Use hand sanitizer at front door upon entering the Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

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Any person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the prior five (5) days is prohibited from entering the Courthouse during the CDC recommended quarantine and isolation period.

Summary: Persons who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 5 days are prohibited from entering the Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

Courtroom No. 4 - All spectators who do not reside in the same household must sit six (6) feet apart, and all spectators must wear a face mask at all times;

Summary: Courtroom No. 4 requires spectators from different households to sit 6 feet apart and wear masks at all times.

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Courtroom No. 3 - Limit of twelve (12) spectators, sitting six (6) feet apart. No persons under 18 years of age will be permitted in the courtroom;

Summary: Courtroom No. 3 limits spectators to 12, sitting 6 feet apart, no one under 18 allowed.

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Required

Always ?

Margins

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Each person must maintain appropriate distancing from others in the Courthouse, to include sittin at the location assigned by a member of the court staff. Each person must follow the instructions of the court staff and court security officers ( CSOs ) to aid in maintaining distance in the Courthouse;

Summary: All persons must maintain appropriate distancing and follow staff instructions in the Courthouse.

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Cases before United States Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson - All spectators who do not reside in the same household must sit six (6) feet apart, and all spectators must wear a face mask at all times.

Summary: Judge Stetson requires 6-foot distancing between non-household spectators and masks for all spectators.

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Required

Always ?

The offering party shall mark his or her own exhibits before trial to include the party’s name, case number, and exhibit number on each exhibit, unless joint exhibits are to be used and marked accordingly. If an exhibit has multiple pages, each page must be numbered consecutively.

Summary: Exhibits must be marked with party name, case number, and exhibit number; multi-page exhibits must have consecutive page numbering.

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Required

Always ?

Each person must maintain appropriate distancing from others in the Courthouse, to include sitting at the location assigned by a member of the court staff. Each person must follow the instructions of the court staff and court security officers ( CSOs ) to aid in maintaining distance in the Courthouse;

Summary: Maintain appropriate distancing in the Courthouse as directed by staff.

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Required

Always ?

Each person must use the hand sanitizer furnished at the front door upon entering the Courthouse;

Summary: Use hand sanitizer at front door upon entering Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

Any person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the prior five (5) days is prohibited from entering the Courthouse during the CDC recommended quarantine and isolation period.

Summary: Persons who tested positive for COVID-19 in past 5 days are prohibited from entering Courthouse.

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Required

Always ?

Courtroom No. 3 - Limit of twelve (12) spectators, sitting six (6) feet apart. No persons under 18 years of age will be permitted in the courtroom;

Summary: Courtroom 3: max 12 spectators, 6 feet apart, no one under 18.

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Required

Always ?

Courtroom No. 4 - All spectators who do not reside in the same household must sit six (6) feet apart, and all spectators must wear a face mask at all times;

Summary: Courtroom 4: non-household spectators 6 feet apart, all must wear masks.

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Required

Always ?

Attorneys, parties (except criminal defendants), and corporate representatives are required to wear standard business attire. For men, this includes a suit with coat and tie or a coat and tie with tailored slacks or khaki pants. A coat and tie with jeans or other denim pants are not acceptable. For women, this includes tailored suits and tailored dresses. Slacks are appropriate if part of a tailored suit. Slacks or skirts with a blouse or sweater, but without a jacket, are not acceptable. Extremely short skirts and other revealing clothing (tight, short, low-cut, thin) are not acceptable.

Summary: Attorneys, parties (except criminal defendants), and corporate representatives must wear standard business attire.

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Required

Always ?

Jurors and Witnesses shall dress appropriately and respectfully for the courtroom. For men, other than uniformed law enforcement officers, this includes: a coat and, slacks or khaki pants. For women, other than uniformed law enforcement officers, this includes: tailored dresses; blouses or dress shirts with appropriate skirts, tailored slacks, or khaki pants. No shorts, jeans or other denim pants, overalls, scrubs, tee shirts, tank tops, mid-riff baring or other revealing or low cut clothing, extremely short skirts, sunglasses, flip-flops, or hats shall be permitted in the courtroom.

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

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Required

Always ?

Spectators are required to dress appropriately and respectfully for the courtroom. Men are required to wear coats. No shorts, scrubs, tee shirts, tank tops, mid-riff baring or other revealing or low cut clothing, extremely short skirts, sunglasses, flip-flops, or hats shall be permitted in the courtroom

Summary: Spectators must dress appropriately for the courtroom with specific clothing restrictions.

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Civil cases

Required

Always ?

Pursuant to Local Rule CV-7(b), highlight in the courtesy copy the portions of the affidavits or other supporting documents that are cited in your motion or response.

Summary: Highlight cited portions in courtesy copy affidavits/supporting documents.

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Civil cases

Required

Always ?

You should print the docketed version of your motion from CM-ECF so that your motion includes the docket identifier at the top of each page.

Summary: Print docketed version from CM-ECF with docket identifier on each page.

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Civil cases

Required

Always ?

Copies of exhibits which will be handed to witnesses should be placed in a three ring binder, with an additional copy for the court. (To make it easy to direct the witness to the correct exhibit while on the stand, Plaintiff should use a dark colored binder such as black or dark blue. Defendants should use a light colored binder, such as white, red, or light blue.) No single binder of exhibits shall exceed three inches in width.

Summary: Exhibits must be in 3-ring binders (dark for Plaintiff, light for Defendant), max 3 inches width.

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Format

PDF

Each pdf file containing a designated exhibit should be named by the designated exhibit number or letter. If multiple parties are involved, the exhibit should list the party name before the number or letter.

Summary: Exhibit PDF files must be named by exhibit number/letter; include party name if multiple parties.

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Required

Always ?

The court requires concise, pertinent, and well-organized briefs and memoranda of law. Citations to cases must include jump cites to the specific pages relied upon to support the party’s position.

Summary: Briefs must include jump cites to specific pages of cited cases.

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Required

Always ?

Each party must use a different color binder. Joint exhibits must be placed in a binder of another color.

Summary: Each party must use a different color binder for exhibits; joint exhibits must use a different color.

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The offering party shall mark his or her own exhibits before trial to include the party's name, case number, and exhibit number on each exhibit, unless joint exhibits are to be used and marked accordingly. If an exhibit has multiple pages, each page must be numbered consecutively.

Summary: Exhibits must be marked with party name, case number, and exhibit number; multi-page exhibits must have consecutively numbered pages.

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If the parties cannot agree on a particular instruction or issue, however, such disagreement and alternate requests must be submitted on separate pages and will be resolved at the final pretrial conference or at a charge conference;

Summary: Disputed jury instructions and alternate requests must be submitted on separate pages.

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assembled in looseleaf three-ring notebooks with a numbered sticker on each document for use by the court. Such number shall also appear on a tab extending beyond the right side of the notebook. Each notebook shall be labeled on the outside cover with the name of the offering party, the case style, and the case number. Each notebook shall not exceed three (3) inches in depth. Unless only joint exhibits are used, the notebooks of each party must be of a different color, any agreed exhibits must be proceeded by a red tab page.

Summary: Exhibit notebooks must be looseleaf three-ring, with numbered stickers and tabs, labeled, max 3 inches, different colors per party, red tab for agreed exhibits.

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Portions of designations to which a party has objected should be underlined.

Summary: Portions of deposition designations that are objected to should be underlined.

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Civil cases

Letter briefs shall be filed without exhibits.

Summary: Letter briefs must be filed without exhibits.

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Civil cases

e. Individually numbered pages.

Summary: Briefs must have individually numbered pages.

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If exhibits are voluminous, original exhibits should be placed in folders properly labeled with Exhibit Number in a standard-sized box with handles.

Summary: Voluminous exhibits must be organized in labeled folders within a standard box with handles.

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Civil cases

If the motion with attachments exceeds twenty pages, the court requests that you bind the courtesy copy at the left to make it easier to read. This binding must be either spiral bound or three-hole punched and placed in a three-ring binder.

Summary: Motions over 20 pages require spiral or three-ring binding for courtesy copies.

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If an exhibit has multiple pages, each page must be numbered consecutively.

Summary: Multi-page exhibits must have consecutively numbered pages.

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Each party must use a different color binder. Agreed exhibits must be proceeded by a red tab page.

Summary: Each party must use a different color binder; agreed exhibits must be preceded by a red tab page.

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Each party shall use a different color highlighter (yellow and blue are recommended for the parties and green for overlapping designations).

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

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Civil cases

e. Individually numbered pages.

Summary: Briefs must have individually numbered pages.