Receive FREE Special Report First Name Email Address I Respect Your Email Privacy

PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE

5.01 Purpose of Pre-Trial Conference

Counsel or parties pro se will be expected at pre-trial to advise the Court which issues will be disputed and to be familiar with the authorities applicable to the questions of law raised at pre-trial. Failure to conform to this rule shall be ground for postponement of the trial, setting of further pre-trial hearings, or other appropriate action.

5.02 Who Shall Attend Pre-Trial Conference

Counsel attending the pre-trial shall either be the attorney in charge or shall be familiar with the case and be fully authorized to state the partys position on the law and the facts and to make stipulations of fact. Counsel may not send to pre-trial in his stead a legal assistant, paralegal, investigator, secretary or other non-attorney. Parties appearing pro se must attend pre-trial in person.

5.03 Consequences For Failure To Attend Pre-trial Conference

When counsel or a party pro se, after notice, fails to appear at pretrial the Court may:

a. Rule on all motions, dilatory pleas and exceptions in absence of such person;

b. Declare any motions, dilatory pleas, or exceptions of such absent party waived;

c. Advance or delay the trial setting according to the convenience of persons present;

d. Pass and reset the pre-trial;

e. Decline to set the case for trial, cancel a setting previously made;

f. Dismiss the case for want of prosecution or grant a default judgment, if attorneys were ordered to appear, especially where there has been a previous failure to appear or where no amendment has been filed after exceptions were previously sustained; and/or

g. Grant sanctions or other relief.