Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

A Statement of Discovery Dispute must use 13-point Times New Roman and should include a certification of compliance with Rule 37's meet-and-confer requirement.

The Statement of Discovery Dispute must be in Times New Roman 13 point font. You should attach a certification of compliance with the "meet and confer" requirement of Rule 37, Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure.

CRITICAL

Hearings will be conducted only by telephone or videoconference.

All hearings will be held telephonically or by videoconference, only.

CRITICAL

Participants must not appear in person for hearings or knowingly allow others to appear in person.

Please do not arrive for hearings in person or knowingly allow others to do so.

CRITICAL

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

You will not be permitted to play or show recordings or information from a cell phone.

CRITICAL

Exhibits for evidentiary or contested hearings must be prepared separately and individually so the Clerk can mark each one.

Exhibits to be used at any evidentiary or contested hearing shall be separately and individually prepared so that each exhibit may be marked by the Clerk of the Court.

CRITICAL

A copy of each exhibit must be available for the submitting party, the opposing parties, and the Court.

There must be a copy of each exhibit for the party submitting the exhibit, the opposing party(ies) and the Court.

CRITICAL

Audio or video evidence must be uploaded to a thumb drive, and the presenter must bring a device capable of playing or showing it at the hearing.

If you intend to present audio or video recordings, such evidence must be uploaded on a thumb drive and you must bring to the hearing a device that will allow you to play or show the content of the thumb drive.

CRITICAL

Motions must comply with applicable procedural rules on format and page length; any deviation requires a prior court order.

Motions shall comply with the applicable Rules of Procedure in terms of format and page length. There is an expectation that there will be compliance with the Rules of Procedure and any deviation must be preceded by an order allowing such deviation.

CRITICAL

Personal electronics are not accepted into evidence; material captured on them must be submitted as a hard-copy exhibit or saved to a thumb drive with four copies made.

The Court will not accept personal electronics (e.g. cell phone, digital cameras, or personal computers) into evidence. Anything that is captured on a personal electronic device must be printed in hard copy and submitted to the Court as an exhibit or four copies must be made and saved to a thumb drive.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Requests for preliminary hearings must be made in writing.

Requests for Preliminary Hearings must be made in writing.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Submit proposed orders as PDFs separate from the motion.

Proposed orders should be submitted in separate PDFs from the motion.

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

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

Proposed Verdict Forms and proposed Final Jury Instructions are due by noon on the first full day of trial. These can be amended as necessary as evidence is presented at trial. Again, the Final Jury Instructions must be fully written out in WORD format; a list of RAJI numbers will not be accepted.

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

Preliminary jury instructions must be fully written out in Word format and submitted by 8:00 a.m. on the morning of the Trial Management Conference; a list of RAJI numbers is not accepted.

Preliminary Jury Instructions must be explicitly spelled out, in WORD format, and submitted by 8:00 a.m. on the morning of the Trial Management Conference. The Court will not accept a list of RAJI numbers.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

File the primary motion or fact statement and all cited exhibits together in one PDF, with identifying slip sheets separating the exhibits.

(1) Your primary motion or fact statement and all of your cited exhibits must be filed as a single PDF, with slip sheets separating and identifying each exhibit.

WARNINGCivil cases

A proposed order submitted with a motion when applicable must be in WORD format.

All motions need to be submitted with a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

WARNINGCivil cases

Orders must be in final format and must not use strikethrough.

Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final format.

WARNING

Motions, responses, and related pleadings must comply with the Rules’ page-length, font-type, and other requirements.

Motions, responses, and related pleadings shall comply with the page length, font type, and other requirements of the Rules.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

When applicable, proposed orders must be provided in Word format.

Please provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

WARNING

Avoid duplicate and unnecessary exhibits, bring disputed exhibits to the pretrial management conference, consider admitting only operative portions of large documents, and Bates-number every page when more than 20 pages of documents will be admitted.

Please try to remove all duplicate exhibits. Stipulated exhibits are generally admitted at the pre-trial management conference. If there are major issues about an exhibit, please be prepared to address them at the pre-trial management conference. Please have a copy of the exhibit in question for the Court. With large documents, please consider only having the operative language admitted. If there is a 100 page contract with only one sentence in dispute, there generally is no need to admit the entire document. Please seriously consider what documents are necessary for your case. The court does not look favorably on having dozens of exhibits presented "just in case" they are necessary. If more than 20 pages of documents are to be admitted, all pages must be Bates numbered.

WARNING

Court Security will exclude symptomatic individuals at security.

Court Security has been given direction to exclude symptomatic individuals at security.

WARNING

Ill individuals should not come to the Old Court House, and others should not knowingly allow them to do so.

Do NOT arrive at the Old Court House ill, and please do NOT knowingly allow anyone else to do so.

WARNING

Conference participants should mute their devices and refrain from interjecting.

When in the conference, mute your personal device and refrain from interjecting, so that all can hear and effectively participate.

WARNING

If you file a motion or stipulation that requires an order, please provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

If you file a motion or stipulation that requires an order, please provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

When applicable, orders must be provided in Word format.

• Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format. Do not use the heading "proposed" in your order. Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final form.

WARNING

Motions should be double-spaced, and handwriting should be avoided if possible.

Please double space your motions and avoid handwriting motions if possible.

WARNINGCivil cases

Format

DOCX

Before the Final Trial Management Conference, counsel should email the listed trial materials to Division staff in Word format.

Before the Final Trial Management Conference, all jury instructions, proposed voir dire, joint statement of the case (to be read to the jury) and deposition designations should be emailed in Word format to the Division's staff.

WARNING

When applicable, the proposed order must be in WORD format.

Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

When applicable, provide the proposed order in WORD format and submit orders in final, non-strikethrough format.

Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format. Do not use the heading "proposed" in your order. Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final format.

WARNINGCivil cases

Hearing exhibits must be separated by colored sheets and delivered by hand directly to court staff.

No less than FIVE (5) business days prior to hearing, the parties and, if represented, counsel shall exchange and provide TO THE CLERK OF THIS DIVISION any exhibits they shall seek to admit into evidence. All exhibits must be clearly identified, SEPARATED BY A COLORED sheet AND hand delivered to this Division NO LATER THAN FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS prior to the hearing. All exhibits shall be hand-delivered directly to court staff at this Division’s suite.

WARNING

Each digital evidence file should be provided on its own flash drive.

For video, audio, or other digital evidence, please have each digital file on its own singular flash drive.

WARNING

You must bring your own equipment to use and display digital exhibits at trial or a hearing.

For the trial or hearing, you must bring your own equipment to use and display the digital exhibit.

WARNINGCivil cases

Format

DOCX

Before the pre-trial management conference, specified trial materials should be emailed in Word to the Court’s judicial assistant.

In advance of the pre-trial management conference, all jury instructions, proposed voir dire, joint statement of the case (to be read to the jury) and deposition designations should be emailed in Word to the Court’s judicial assistant, michelle.stergulz@JBAZMC.maricopa.gov.

WARNING

A signature page, including a form of order, must contain at least two lines of text.

Please remember you need at least two lines of text on a signature page, including a form of order.

WARNING

Motions should be made in writing.

All motions should be made in writing.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

Before the pretrial management conference in a jury-eligible case, the listed trial materials should be emailed in Word format to the judicial assistant.

Before the pre-trial management conference in a jury-eligible case, all jury instructions, proposed voir dire, proposed jury questionnaire, joint statement of the case (to be read to the jury), and deposition designations should be emailed in Word to the Court's judicial assistant.

WARNING

Typed documents must use at least 13-point type and double spacing; serif proportional fonts are preferred, while monospaced and sans serif fonts are discouraged.

Every typed document must use at least a 13-point type size, and text must be double-spaced. The court prefers proportionally spaced serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, Bookman, Century, Garamond, or Book Antiqua. It discourages monospaced or sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Courier, or Calibri.

WARNING

Footnotes must be at least 13-point type, stay outside the bottom-margin space, and footnotes and endnotes count toward applicable limits.

Footnotes must be in at least a 13-point type size and must not appear in the space required for the bottom margin. Footnotes and endnotes will be included in the applicable limits.

WARNING

Orders must be submitted in final format without strikethrough.

Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final format.

WARNING

After e-filing in TurboCourt, only internal hyperlinks and bookmarks to pages within the single PDF will remain usable.

(7) Please note that hyperlinks and bookmarks to websites or to separate documents will not work once your document is e-filed in TurboCourt. Only internal hyperlinks and bookmarks to pages within the single PDF e-filed with the Court will remain usable after e-filing.

WARNING

Include all citations in the body of a brief, not in footnotes.

All citations shall be included in the body of the brief and not in footnotes.

WARNING

Motions, responses, and related pleadings must comply with the Rules’ page-length, font-type, and other requirements.

Motions, responses, and related pleadings shall comply with the page length, font type, and other requirements of the Rules.

WARNING

A proposed order emailed to the Division must be submitted in Word format.

Motions or stipulations shall be filed with proposed orders. If emailed to the Division, please submit the proposed order in Word format.

WARNINGCivil cases

Format

DOCX

The proposed order accompanying a motion or stipulation must be in Word format.

Motions or stipulations shall be filed with a proposed order in Word format.

WARNINGCivil cases

Motions, responses, and related pleadings must comply with the applicable Rules’ page-length, font, and other requirements.

Motions, responses, and related pleadings shall comply with the page length, font type, and other requirements set by the Rules.

WARNING

Include citations in the body of a brief, not in footnotes.

All citations shall be included in the body of the brief and not in footnotes.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

Most motions are handled through eFile; lodge a Word-format electronic order form and omit “Proposed” or “[Proposed]” from it.

This division handles most motions via eFile; please lodge a Word format electronic form of order. Please do not include the word “Proposed” or “[Proposed]” on Word format forms of order; omitting it makes e-filing more efficient for the Division.

WARNING

For lengthy documents, include only cited excerpts; the Court prefers condensed transcripts over full-size transcripts attached to motions or fact statements.

Please only include cited excerpts from lengthy documents (i.e., deposition transcripts). This Court prefers condensed transcripts to be attached to motions or fact statements rather than the full-size transcripts.

WARNING

Format

DOCX

Lodge proposed orders as separate Word documents in eFile, related to the accompanying filing; the word “Proposed” is unnecessary.

Proposed orders of any kind should be lodged in eFile as separate Word documents related to the filing they accompany; there is no need to include the word “Proposed” on the Word format order.

WARNING

Motions must be double-spaced.

Please double space your motions.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applicable proposed orders must be submitted in Word format.

E-file all pleadings and lodge a proposed order, when applicable, in Word.

WARNING

Motions should be double-spaced, and handwriting should be avoided if possible.

Motion Practice: Please double space your motions and avoid handwriting them if possible.

WARNING

Forms of Orders should be submitted in WORD format rather than PDF or another document type.

Forms of Orders should be submitted in WORD format, instead of pdf or other document type.

WARNING

Orders must be in final form and must not use strikethrough formatting.

Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final form.

WARNING

Do not use the heading “proposed” in an order.

Do not use the heading "proposed" in your order.

WARNING

When applicable, proposed orders must be provided in Word format.

Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format.

INFO

The Court prefers proposed jury instructions and verdict forms in Word format and permits them to be emailed directly to the Court.

The Court prefers to receive proposed jury instructions and verdict forms in Word format. These may be directly e-mailed to the Court. In this way, the Court is more easily and quickly able to make modifications prior to printing same for the jurors.

INFO

Most pretrial matters will be held virtually through Court Connect.

Most pretrial matters will be conducted virtually, through the Court Connect platform.

INFO

The court appreciates electronic copies of critical exhibits and prefers PDF format.

The Court appreciates elctronic copies of exhibits (.pdf preferred), if there are critical exhibits in the case.

INFO

Participants should use videoconferencing whenever possible.

Participants should use video conferencing whenever possible.

INFOCivil cases

Format

DOCX

Submit proposed orders in MS Word whenever possible to facilitate editing.

Fully drafted proposed forms of order must be submitted with all motions and petitions. Whenever possible please submit proposed forms of order in MS Word to allow for easier editing.

INFO

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.

Exhibits can and should be presented "on the screen," though you may bring your own device and need not use Case Center for presentation purposes. You may use TrialPad or Trial Director or present PDFs if that is your preferred method so long as the display reflects the identical document as marked in Case Center. You may also use hard copies with the Elmo, but the clerk does not provide hard copies for you so ensure you have brought all the exhibits you wish to use as hard copies with you to trial if you wish to use the elmo instead of plugging your device into the court's system.

INFO

Include only cited excerpts from lengthy documents; the Court prefers condensed transcripts over full-size transcripts attached to motions or fact statements.

Please only include cited excerpts from lengthy documents (i.e., deposition transcripts). This Court prefers condensed transcripts to be attached to motions or fact statements rather than the full-size transcripts.

INFOCivil cases

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

The Court has the capability of conducting a "hybrid" hearing, such that some participants can be in the courtroom, and others can be participating virtually.

INFOCivil cases

The Court prefers video appearances.

However, video appearance is the preference of the Court.

INFOCivil cases

The Court provides extended Wi-Fi access for jury trials.

The Court will provide extended Wi-Fi access for all jury trials.