Butler County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Filing Rules

A request for the estimated-taxes statement must be submitted to the Butler County Treasurer using a Treasurer-approved form.

Post-trial briefs are prohibited unless the most extraordinary circumstances exist.

Joint jury instructions must be submitted in writing and electronically in Microsoft Word at least two weeks before trial.

Pretrial statements must also identify expert witnesses, list and mark trial exhibits, identify pending motions in limine, list special damages, estimate trial time, report settlement status, and provide requested jury instructions and interrogatories.

A filer must correct deficiencies within two business days to preserve the original submission date; otherwise, filing occurs when all deficiencies are corrected.

Supplemental expert reports are due no later than 30 days before trial unless good cause is shown.

Proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law must be submitted electronically at least one week before a bench trial.

Counsel must file all transcripts and video depositions with the Clerk's office before trial.

A motion requesting permission for counsel to withdraw must be served on all counsel of record and the withdrawing counsel's client.

A copy of written objections to exhibits or other trial material must be delivered contemporaneously to the court in chambers.

A separate set of trial materials must be delivered to opposing parties or their attorneys and to the court before 4:00 p.m. on the date specified in the pretrial order.

For deposition transcripts intended for motion proceedings or trial, the Clerk may accept an original paper copy instead of an electronic filing.

All entries and orders must be electronically filed and electronically served on the parties.

A person claiming indigency must file an in forma pauperis application with a supporting affidavit and obtain court approval.

A continuance will not be granted merely because of a scheduling conflict.

Continuances may be granted only when good cause is shown.

Documents generally must be filed in PDF, but proposed orders, entries, and other documents requiring a judge’s signature are excepted.

Parties are requested to avoid extraneous formatting near a proposed order's signature line so that the judicial electronic signature token can be inserted.

Joint jury instructions must be created in Microsoft Word format.

Each assembled set of trial materials must be placed in a binder or cover.

A person temporarily permitted to view sealed materials may not disclose their contents to others.

Counsel seeking to withdraw must first obtain a hearing date from the assigned judge's office.

If an initial scheduling order does not order mediation, the parties may request judge mediation by contacting chambers.

Counsel must contact the Clerk's office before trial to ensure the availability of the depositions.

One courtesy copy of the Suggestion of Complex Litigation must be delivered to the assigned judge.

A filing party must provide chambers an electronic courtesy copy by email for every motion and responsive or reply memorandum, and failure to do so may prevent the court from considering the filing's arguments.

Briefs are limited to 15 pages unless the court grants leave for an exception.

All briefs and memoranda are limited to 15 pages unless leave is obtained sufficiently in advance; excess filings and last-minute leave motions will be stricken.

A motion to consolidate cases on common issues of law or fact must be filed in every case proposed for consolidation.

Counsel must assemble complete sets of trial materials, place each set in a binder or cover, and deliver separate sets to opposing counsel and the court by 4:00 p.m. on the indicated date.